Accepted Answer
(It might also have helped immensely if you had been listening when this was being explained in class.)The first pipe fills 1/20 of the tank each minute.The second pipe fills 1/30 of the tank each minute.Operating together, the two pipes fill ( 1/20 + 1/30 ) of the tank each minute.In order to add these fractions (or any fractions), you need a common denominator.For these particular ones, ' 60 ' is a good choice.( 1/20 + 1/30 ) = ( 3/60 + 2/60) = 5/60 = 1/12The rate of work is 1/12 tankful per minute .The most sensible choice for the time is 12 minutes.R x T = W( 1/12 tankful per minute ) x ( 12 minutes ) = 1 full tank