SOLUTION: I cannot seem to figure out the answer to the problem. (Plumbing) One length of hot water pipe is 3 feet longer than the other.If their combined length is 27 feet , how long is th

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Question 202442This question is from textbook Mathematics For Technical trades
: I cannot seem to figure out the answer to the problem.
(Plumbing) One length of hot water pipe is 3 feet longer than the other.If their combined length is 27 feet , how long is the shorter pipe?
Thanks janet
This question is from textbook Mathematics For Technical trades

Found 2 solutions by stanbon, jim_thompson5910:
Answer by stanbon(75887)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
One length of hot water pipe is 3 feet longer than the other.If their combined length is 27 feet , how long is the shorter pipe?
-----------------------
Let the smaller piece have length "x":
Then the longer picec has length "x+3":
---
Equation:
x + (x+3) = 27 ft.
2x + 3 = 27
2x = 24
x = 12 ft (length of the smaller piece)
x+3 = 15 ft (length of the longer piece)
===============================================
Cheers,
Stan H.

Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let
x = length of shorter pipe
y = length of longer pipe

Since "One length of hot water pipe is 3 feet longer than the other", this means that

Also, since "their combined length is 27 feet", we get



Start with the second equation.


Plug in .


Combine like terms on the left side.


Subtract from both sides.


Combine like terms on the right side.


Divide both sides by to isolate .


Reduce.


-------------------------------------------


Since we know that , we can use this to find .


Go back to the second equation.


Plug in .


Subtract from both sides.


Combine like terms on the right side.


So the solutions are and .


This means that the shorter pipe is 12 feet long while the longer pipe is 15 feet long.

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