document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=185511>Question 185511</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I have a story problem that I need to translate into an equation and solve (with a Let statement).  It's easy for me to solve equations, but translating a story problem is just difficult and confuses me.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "The problem:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "A board 190cm long is cut into three pieces.  The second piece is three times the length of the first piece and the third piece is 10cm longer than twice the first piece.  How long is each of the three pieces?   </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #139155 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=139155\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Let x = length of first piece, y = length of second piece, and z = length of third piece\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Since \"The second piece is three times the length of the first piece\", this tells us that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=3x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=3x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and because \"the third piece is 10cm longer than twice the first piece\", this means that <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=z=2x%2B10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"z=2x%2B10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Now the the sum of the three pieces should be equal to the total original length 190. In other words, <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%2By%2Bz=190 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%2By%2Bz=190\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%2By%2Bz=190 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%2By%2Bz=190\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Start with the given equation.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%2B3x%2B2x%2B10=190 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%2B3x%2B2x%2B10=190\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Plug in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=3x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=3x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=z=2x%2B10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"z=2x%2B10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=6x%2B10=190 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"6x%2B10=190\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine like terms on the left side.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=6x=190-10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"6x=190-10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Subtract <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > from both sides.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=6x=180 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"6x=180\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Combine like terms on the right side.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=%28180%29%2F%286%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=%28180%29%2F%286%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Divide both sides by <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=6 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"6\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to isolate <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=30 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=30\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Reduce.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "So the first piece is 30 cm \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "-------------------\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=3x ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=3x\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Go back to the first equation\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=3%2830%29 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=3%2830%29\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Plug in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=30 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=30\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=y=90 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"y=90\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "So the second piece is 90 cm\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "--------------------\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=z=2x%2B10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"z=2x%2B10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Go back to the second equation\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=z=2%2830%29%2B10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"z=2%2830%29%2B10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Plug in <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x=30 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x=30\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=z=60%2B10 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"z=60%2B10\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Multiply\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=z=70 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"z=70\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > Add\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "So the third piece is 70 cm\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "===============================================\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Answer:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "So the lengths of the three pieces are \r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "1st: 30 cm<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2nd: 90 cm<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3rd: 70 cm\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );