Multiple choice

A group of labour wished to complete the work in 25 days. But 10 labourers did not turn-up and the work got completed in 35 days. Find the approximate number of labourers in the beginning?

  1. 30

  2. 25

  3. 35

  4. 20
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Let initial number of workers be x. The total work = 25x man-days. With (x-10) workers, work completed in 35 days, so (x-10) × 35 = 25x. Solving: 35x - 350 = 25x, giving 10x = 350, so x = 35. This uses the inverse proportion between workers and days - fewer workers means more days needed for the same work.

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