Final answer:
By setting up an equation representing the total length of the pipe and the relationship between the lengths of the two pieces, we solve for x to find the length of the shorter piece. The shorter piece of the copper pipe that Husain cut is 7.4 inches long.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the length of the shorter piece of pipe that Husain cut from a 50-inch length of copper pipe, we need to set up an equation based on the information given:
Let x represent the length of the shorter piece. The longer piece is then 4x + 13 inches. Since the total length of the pipe is 50 inches, we can write the following equation:
x + (4x + 13) = 50
Combining like terms, we get:
5x + 13 = 50
Subtracting 13 from both sides, we get:
5x = 37
Dividing both sides by 5, we get:
x = 7.4
The shorter piece of copper pipe is 7.4 inches long.