SOLUTION: You cut a piece of ribbon into 2 pieces, so that one piece is 24 inches longer than the other. The longer piece is 4 times as long as the shorter piece. How long is each piece of

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Question 743244: You cut a piece of ribbon into 2 pieces, so that one piece is 24 inches longer than the other. The longer piece is 4 times as long as the shorter piece. How long is each piece of ribbon? How long was the original ribbon?
Answer by davethejackal(28) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let s = length of short piece of ribbon
Let L = length long piece of ribbon

"one piece is 24 inches longer than the other"
So L = s+24 [1]

"The longer piece is 4 times as long as the shorter piece."
So L = 4 s [2]

Sumstituting for L in [2] using [1]
L = s+24 = 4s

Subtracting s from both sides
24 = 3s
s=8 in.

Using [1] gives us L = s+24 = 8+24 = 32 in.
Checking in [2] L = 4 s = 4 x 8 = 32 QED.
The lengths are 8in and 32in.