Question

Points a b and c are collinear. Point b is between a and c. Draw a picture, write out the segment addition postulate then solve for x

Answer 1

We are said that there are three collinear points. We are asked to draw a picture, then write the segment addition postulate, and after that solve for x given the information that we have. Let's start first with the picture:

There we have the segment with all 3 points. Let's now remember what the segment addition postulate tells us: if there is a line segment divided into smaller pieces then the length of this full segment will be the addition of the lengths of all those pieces.

Therefore, now with the information that we have, we can solve for x as follows:

`\begin{gathered} AC=AB+BC \\ x+12=11+2x\text{ -}8 \\ 12\text{ -}11+8=x \\ 9=x \end{gathered}`

Therefore, the correct answer is x = 9