Answer: The shorter piece is 8 ft and the longer piece is 19 ft.
Step-by-step explanation:
Let x be the shorter piece. We will write an equation that represents the original problem to help us solve.
27 ft = x + (2x + 3)
Now, we will solve this equation.
27 ft = x + (2x + 3)
27 ft = 3x + 3
24 ft = 3x
8 ft = x
The shorter piece is 8 ft long.
Then, we will use substitution for the longer piece.
2x + 3
2(8) + 3
19
The longer piece is 19 ft long.
To do a rough check of our work, 19+8=27 ✓
