A STUDENT FINISHES THEIR FISR HALF OF AN EXAM IN 2/3 THE TIME IT TAKES HIM TO FINISH THE SECOND HALF. IF THE ENTIRE EXAM TAKES HIM AN HOUR, HOW MANY MINUTES DOES HE SPEND ON THE FIRST HALF OF THE EXAM?

First half was 24 minutes

Step-by-step explanation:

Let the time taken to finish the second half be y.

Since the student used 2/3 of the second half time to finish the first half, first half = 2/3 × y = 2y/3

The entire exam is an hour which equals 60 minutes

First half + Second half = 60minutes

Note that first half is denoted as 2y/3 and second half is denoted by y.

2y/3 + y = 60

5y/3 = 60

Cross multiply

5y = 60 × 3

5y = 180

y = 180/5

y = 36

Second half took 36 minutes

Since first half is 2y/3, it will be:

(2×36) / 3

= 72/3

= 24minutes

First half took 24 minutes.

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