Question

A student needs three pieces of wire for a science project. The second piece must be 3 times as long as the first. The third piece must be twice as long as the second. The student has 350 inches of wire to make the three pieces. Let x be the length of the first piece of wire.

a.write an inequality that models the situation.
b.What are the possible lengths of the shortest piece of wire?

Answer 1

A. 10x=350

B. 35 inches

Explanation:

So the first piece is x, and the second is 3 times as long, so the second is 3x, and the third pice is twice as long has the second piece which is 3x, so third piece is 6x. The total is 350 inches, so x+3x+6x=350. Simplify that so you get 10x=350. Divide both sides by 10, and you get x=35 inches. Hope that helps!