SOLUTION: a 20-foot board is cut into two pieces the longer piece is 4.5 feet longer then the shorter piece. What is the length of each piece?

Question 389107: a 20-foot board is cut into two pieces the longer piece is 4.5 feet longer then the shorter piece. What is the length of each piece?
Answer by haileytucki(390) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
x+(x+4.5)=20
Remove the parentheses around the expression x+4.5.
x+x+4.5=20
Since x and x are like terms, add x to x to get 2x.
2x+4.5=20
Since 4.5 does not contain the variable to solve for, move it to the right-hand side of the equation by subtracting 4.5 from both sides.
2x=-4.5+20
Add 20 to -4.5 to get 15.5.
2x=15.5
Divide each term in the equation by 2.
(2x)/(2)=(15.5)/(2)
Simplify the left-hand side of the equation by canceling the common factors.
x=(15.5)/(2)
Divide 15.5 by 2 to get 7.75.
x=7.75 feet shorter piece
7.75+4.5=12.25 feet (longer piece)
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