Multiple choice

Pipe A can fill the tank in 30 hours and pipe B can fill the tank in 15 hours whereas pipe C can empty the tank 10 hours. Pipe A starts at 6:00 am pipe B starts at 7:00 am and from 8:00 am all the pipes run alternatively find in how many hours the tank will be filled or empty completely?

  1. 30 hours to fill

  2. 25 hours to fill

  3. 30 hours to empty

  4. 25 hours to empty

  5. cannot be determined

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The phrase all pipes run alternatively is ambiguous - it could mean hourly rotation, minute-by-minute switching, or some other pattern. Without clarifying what alternatively means in this context, it is impossible to determine whether and when the tank fills or empties. Option E correctly identifies this indeterminacy.