SOLUTION: A wire 180 centimeters long is to be cut into three pieces. The length of one piece is three times the length of the second. The length of the third piece is 12 centimeters shorter

Question 314761: A wire 180 centimeters long is to be cut into three pieces. The length of one piece is three times the length of the second. The length of the third piece is 12 centimeters shorter than twice the length of the second. Find the length of each piece.
Found 2 solutions by Jstrasner, mananth:
Answer by Jstrasner(112) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Hey,
Let's write down what we know:
p1 + p2 + p3 = 180 cm
p1 = 3*(p2)
p2 = 12 + p3
Now we can substitute:
p1 = 3*(12 + p3) => 36 +3p3
We can then take this into the original equation to find out what the length of p3 is:
36 + 3p3 + 12 + p3 + p3 = 180
48 + 5p3 = 180
5p3 = 132
p3 = 26.4 cm
then we put this into the other equation:
p2 = 26.4 + 12 => 38.4
and then we put these into the other equation:
p1 = 3*38.4 => 115.2
Therefore:
p1 = 115.2 cm
p2 = 38.4cm
p3 = 26.4cm
I hope this helps!
Answer by mananth(16946) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
get the lengths of the 3 pieces in terms of x
let second piece be x
the first will be 3x
the third will be 2x-12
..
add all
x+3x+2x-12=180
6x-12=180
6x=192
x=32 cm second piece
first piece = 3x = 96 first piece
third piece 2x-12= 64-12 = 52.
CHECK
32+96+52= 180
RELATED QUESTIONS
A wire 180 centimeters long is to be cut into three pieces. The length of one piece is... (answered by stanbon)
A wire 180 centimeters long is to be cut into three pieces. The length of one piece is... (answered by stanbon)
a piano wire 24in. long is cut into two pieces. the longer piece is 4in. more than three... (answered by scott8148)
A 48 foot long piece of cable wire is to be cut into three pieces so that the second... (answered by advanced_Learner)
A 34-foot-long speaker wire is to be cut into three pieces. One piece is to be 12 feet... (answered by Fombitz)
A 45 foot speaker wire is to be cut into three pieces. One piece is to be 15 feet long.... (answered by mananth)
A 45- foot long speaker wire is to be cut into three pieces. One piece is to be 15 feet... (answered by nerdybill)
A Piece of ribbon 180 centimeters is cut into two pieces. One piece is 4 times longer... (answered by mananth)
A 144 inch board it cut into two pieces so that one piece is three times as long as the... (answered by Fombitz)