Question 135659: Ok, my question is in spanish but I will translate it as much as possible. It is stated as a polynomial question:
If you have a a piece of land that measures 20 squared feet and you have to divide it up in three parts, but each additional part has to have one foot more than the previous section.
Ok, I tried to divide it up in three parts and came up with 6.67. So I figured maybe all I had to do was subtract one or two foot from the original and that would give me the answer, right? Wrong.
Then I started to think algebraically and polynomally: It seems that it's asking me for two consecutive numbers after the original number. In other words:
x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 20
So, if that's the case, I guess it's 3x + 3 = 20
ok, we move the three over to the other side of the equals sign and change the sign, right?
3x = 20 -3
3x = 17
3x divided by 3 would give you x
x = 17 / 3
x = 5.67 squared feet? But this is where I am confused. The questions states that the two following sections have to have an additional foot and the answers gives me 20.01, is this right?
5.67
6.67
7.67 = 20.01
Answer by stanbon(75887)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Your work is correct.
When you changes from 17/3 to 5.67 you rounded the number up (made it larger)
That is why when you add 5.67+6.67+7.67 you have a sum of slightly more than 20.
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You could write your answer as (17/3), (17/3)+1, (17/3)+2
to get 3(17/3)+3 = 17+3 = 20
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Cheers,
Stan H.
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