Answer:
Explanation:
Let x be the length of the shortest section of the pipe.
Then, according to the problem:
The longest section is 5 times as long as the shortest, so its length is 5x.
The middle-sized section is 9 feet longer than the shortest, so its length is x + 9.
The sum of the lengths of the three sections must equal the length of the original 72-foot pipe:
x + 5x + (x + 9) = 72
Simplifying the left-hand side, we get:
7x + 9 = 72
Subtracting 9 from both sides, we get:
7x = 63
Dividing by 7, we get:
x = 9
Therefore:
The length of the shortest section is x = 9 feet.
The length of the longest section is 5x = 45 feet.
The length of the middle-sized section is x + 9 = 18 feet.
To complete the diagram, we can label the sections as follows:
Shortest section: |---a---|
Middle-sized section: |-----b-----|
Longest section: |----------5a----------|
where a = 9 and b = a + 9. Therefore:
a = 9 feet
b = a + 9 = 18 feet