Question

For a construction project, Yosa was asked to cut a 42-inch chain into three pieces of equal length. She made the first cut correctly, but her hand slipped on the second cut. If the longest piece ended up 6 inches longer than the shortest piece, what is the length, in inches, of the shortest piece?

Answer 1

The length of the shorter piece is 11 in

and the longer piece = 17 in

Step-by-step explanation:

Given:

Total length of the chain = 42 in

When cut in three equal piece the length of each piece =
`\frac{\textup{42}}{\textup{3}}` = 14 in

Therefore, The length of the first piece = 14 in

Let the length of the shorter piece be 'x' in

Thus,

Length of the longer piece will be = x + 6 in

also,

14 + x + x + 6 = 42 in

or

20 + 2x = 42 in

or

2x = 22 in

or

x = 11 in

Hence,

The length of the shorter piece is 11 in

and the longer piece is 11 + 6 = 17 in