document.write( "Question 1144546: A carpenter used 54ft of molding in three pieces to trim a garage door. If the long piece was 4ft longer than three times the length of each shorter piece, then how long was each piece? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #765693 by ikleyn(52781) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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document.write( "Let x be the length of each of the two shorter pieces.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then the length of the longer piece is  3x+4, and the equation for the total is\r\n" );
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document.write( "    x + x + (3x + 4) = 54.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Simplify and solve for x.\r\n" );
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document.write( "    5x + 4 = 54\r\n" );
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document.write( "    5x = 54 - 4 = 50.\r\n" );
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document.write( "     x          = 50/5 = 10.\r\n" );
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document.write( "ANSWER.  Both short pieces are 10 ft long.  The long piece is 3*10+4 = 34 ft long.\r\n" );
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