A small water pump would take 2 hours to fill an empty tank. A larger pump would take 1/3 hour to fill the same tank. How many hours would it take both pumps, working at their respective constant rates, to fill the empty tank if they began pumping at the same time?
Select
A) 3/7
B) 2/7
C) 1/4
D) 2/3
E) 5/7
Rate of the small pump is 1/2 tank/hour   Rate of the larger pump is 1/(1/3) or 3 tank/hour;   Combined rate of the two pumps is 1/2+3=7/2 tank/hour, together they will fill the empty tank in 1/(7/2) = 2/7 hours (time=job/rate).   Answer: 2/7
<result>B</result>
A small water pump would take 2 hours to fill an empty tank. A larger pump would take 1/3 hour to fill the same tank. How many hours would it take both pumps, working at their respective constant rates, to fill the empty tank if they began pumping at the same time?