A sculptor needs to complete 6 statues in 24 days. After 12 days, only 1 statue is finished. To complete on time, how many assistants (equally efficient) are needed if each works like him?

Explanation

Initially, the sculptor's work rate is 1/24 statues per day, as 6 statues need to be completed in 24 days. After 12 days, only 1 statue is finished, leaving 5 more statues to be completed in the remaining 12 days. This requires a new work rate of 5/12 statues per day. The sculptor alone can only work at a rate of 1/24 statues per day. To meet the new required rate, he needs assistants. By adding 3 assistants, each working at the same rate of 1/24 statues per day, the combined work rate becomes 4/24 or 1/6 statues per day per person, achieving the necessary 5/12 rate when summed up. Therefore, 3 assistants plus the sculptor meet the completion target, confirming Option C as correct. Options A and B do not meet the required work rate, while Option D represents excess resources.