SOLUTION: Please help. An 18-ft board is cut into two pieces, one of which is 4 ft longer than the other. How long is each piece?

Question 106448: Please help. An 18-ft board is cut into two pieces, one of which is 4 ft longer than the other. How long is each piece?
Found 2 solutions by Fombitz, ptaylor:
Answer by Fombitz(32388) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let's call the pieces A and B, where B is the longer piece.
You know that
1.
and also that
2.
You can substitute the expression for B from equation 2 into equation 1.
1.
Substitute for B.
Simplify.
Additive inverse of 4.
Simplify.
Multiplicative inverse of 2.
Final answer.
If A=7 feet then you can go to equation 2 and,
2.

The two pieces of wood are 7 feet and 11 feet long.

Answer by ptaylor(2198) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let x=shorter piece
Then x+4=longer piece
Now we are told that:
x+x+4=18 subtract 4 from both sides
x+x+4-4=18-4 collect like terms
2x=14 divide both sides by 2
x=7 ft------------------shorter piece
x+4=7+4=11 ft -------------longer piece
CK
7+11=18
18=18
also
7+4=11
11=11
Hope this helps----ptaylor

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