On a working escalator, one man walking down it took 50 steps. Another man, walking three times faster, took 75 steps.

How many steps would each man take going down the same escalator during a power outage?

Let the number of steps to come down = x.

Let the person who walked 50 steps is A and the other one is B.

No of steps rolled in by the esculator when A is walking down = x - 50. similarly for B is  x - 75 

The time take by A to walk 1 step down = The time take by B to walk 3 steps down

By the time A walked 1 step, the no. of steps rolled in by the esculator = (x - 50)/50

By the time B walked 3 step, the no. of steps rolled in by the esculator = 3(x - 75)/75

therefore    (x - 50)/50  =  3(x - 75)/75

                          x = 100

 So the steps each man took to go down the escalator during a power outage is 100

 

Posted by Jp on 2006-03-30 01:33:37