If it takes me 60 seconds to make a cup of tea, and my manager wants

[Qyzren]

if it takes me 60 seconds to make a cup of tea, and my manager wants me to make it 25% faster, does that mean i make it in
a) 60/1.25 = 48 seconds
b) 60*0.75 = 45 seconds

some people say a, some people say b. What do you guys think?
I think personally think it's a.

If someone told you to make it 100% faster that means make it twice as fast => 30 seconds, if someone told you to make it 200% faster it means 3x as fast as original => 20 seconds. so 25% faster => 48 seconds.

I believe 60 * 0.75 means a reduction by 25% and not faster by 25%...

 

[HallsofIvy]

Boy this is getting really picky! Okay, since the manager (you're really just trying to sass the manager aren't you?) said specifically "25% faster", and "fast" refers to speed, let's look at speed. You can make a cup of tea at 1/60 cup/sec. "25% faster" would mean 1.25*1/60= 1/48 cup/sec. Working "25% faster" means you make the cup of tea in 48 seconds rather than 60 seconds.

 

[xaos]

in colloquial if i do something in x time and later in x/2 time then i did this 2times faster. so here i think we want x/(5/4) by analogy. 5/4 times faster. language is picky if you mean "sooner" when say "faster".

 

[HallsofIvy]

Good point. "25% sooner" would be 60- (.25)(60)= 45 seconds while "25% faster" is 48 seconds.