Certainly! Let's break down the problem step by step: Setting up the Rational Equation: We know that the slower pipe is working, and we want to find out how long it will take to fill the pool using only the slower pipe. Let's denote the rate of the slower pipe as (x) gallons per hour. The faster pipe works at a rate that is 1 more than 2 times faster than the slower pipe, so its rate is ((2x 1)) gallons per hour. The total volume of the pool is 33560 gallons. When only the slower pipe is working, the time it takes to fill the pool can be expressed as: [ \text{Time} = \frac{\text{Volume}}{\text{Rate of slower pipe}} ] Plugging in the given information: [ \frac{33560}{x} = 3.5 ] This gives us the rational equation: [ \frac{33560}{x} = 3.5 ] Solving the Rational Equation: To solve for (x), we can cross-multiply and solve for (x): [ 33560 = 3.5x ] [ x = \frac{33560}{3.5} ] [ x \approx 958.29 ] Rounding to the nearest hundredth, the rate of the slower pipe is approximately 958.29 gallons per hour. Interpretation: The number 958.29 represents the rate of the slower pipe when it