Math Word Problem

Question

suzanne needed to cut a piece of wood into 2 smaller segments. the shorter piece 1 yard longer than half of the longer piece. if the length of the entire piece of wood, before cutting it, was 7 yards, what is the length of each piece?

Answer 1

Let's use the variable l to represent the length of the longer piece and the variable s to represent the length of the shorter piece.

The since the entire piece of wood before cutting was 7 yards, we can write the following equation:

l + s = 7

Then we also can write the following expression to represent the length of shorter piece as "one yard longer than half the long piece": s = 0.5 *l + 1

Now substitute this expression for s in our first equationand solve for l, the longerpiece:

l + s = 7

l + 0.5*l + 1 = 7

1.5*l + 1 = 7

1.5* 1 + 1 -1 = 7 - 1

1.5*l = 6

l = 6/1.5

l = 4 yards The longer piece is 4 yards .

s = 3 yards The shorter piece is 3 yards.