Final answer:
An equation was set up as x + 3 = 12, where x represents the length of the alligator Linda saw. Subtracting 3 from both sides of the equation, we find that x = 9, indicating that the length of the alligator Linda saw was 9 feet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves Linda and Dylon seeing alligators of different lengths and requires setting up and solving an equation to find the length of the alligator Linda saw. In this situation, we are told that the alligator Dylon saw was 3 feet longer than the one Linda saw, and Dylon's alligator was 12 feet long.
To solve this, let's let x represent the length of the alligator Linda saw. We can write the equation as follows: x + 3 = 12. This equation is set up based on the information given. We are adding 3 feet to the length of the alligator Linda saw (x) to get the length of the alligator Dylon saw, which is 12 feet.
To find the length of the alligator Linda saw, we solve for x by subtracting 3 from both sides of the equation:
x + 3 - 3 = 12 - 3
x = 9
Therefore, the length of the alligator Linda saw was 9 feet.