Two pipes A and B can fill a tank in 20 and 30 hours respectively. Both the pipes are opened to fill the tank but when the tank is one - third full, a leak develops in the tank through which one - third water supplied by both the pipes gose out. The total time taken to fill the tank is?

Solution(By Examveda Team)

Part filled by (A + B) in 1 hour
$$\eqalign{ & {\text{= }}\left( {\frac{1}{{20}} + \frac{1}{{30}}} \right) \cr & = \frac{1}{{12}} \cr} $$
So, A and B together can fill the tank in 12 hrs,
$$\frac{1}{3}$$ part is filled by (A + B) in
$$\left( {\frac{1}{3} \times 12} \right){\text{ = 4 hrs}}$$
Since the leak empties one - third water, so time taken to fill the tank
= Time taken by (A + B) to fill the whole tank + Time taken by (A + B) to fill one - third tank
= (12 + 4)
= 16 hours