A combat engineering squad fills 150 sandbags in 40 minutes. Operating at this exact const… — Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

A combat engineering squad fills $150$ sandbags in $40$ minutes. Operating at this exact constant rate, how many sandbags can the squad fill in $4$ hours?

Answer: 900 sandbags

Answer

900

Because the production rate is constant, the number of sandbags filled is directly proportional to the time spent. Harmonizing the time units by converting

4

hours into

240

minutes allows you to correctly scale up the initial ratio of

150

sandbags per

40

minutes.

Step-by-Step Solution

Convert the total working time from hours to minutes.

4 \text{ hours} \times 60 \text{ minutes/hour} = 240 \text{ minutes}

The given rate is in minutes (

150

sandbags per

40

minutes), so the target time must also be in minutes to set up an accurate proportion.

Set up a direct proportion.

\frac{150 \text{ sandbags}}{40 \text{ minutes}} = \frac{x \text{ sandbags}}{240 \text{ minutes}}

Since the squad works at a constant rate, the ratio of sandbags filled to time spent must remain equal.

Solve the proportion for

x

x = 900

The denominator

40

must be multiplied by

6

to get

240

. To keep the fraction equivalent, multiply the numerator

150

6

, yielding

900

Key Concept

Direct Proportions with Unit Harmonization

Estimated Time:1m 0s

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