Use an algebraic approach to solve the problem: A board 35 feet long is cut into two pieces such that the length of one piece is two-thirds of the length of the other piece. Find the length of the shorter piece of board.
A) 35 feet
B) 7 feet
C) 21 feet
D) -7 feet
E) 14 feet

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let the length of the shorter piece be $x$ feet. Then, the length of the longer piece is $\frac{2}{3}x$ feet. Since the total length of the board is 35 feet, we have the equation $x + \frac{2}{3}x = 35$. Solving for $x$, we find that $x = 14$ feet, which is the length of the shorter piece.

Use an Algebraic Approach to Solve the Problem: a Board