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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: MetalJunkie on September 25, 2017, 09:09:23 PM
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I'm helping a friend with homework and it's been ages since I've done this stuff. I can figure it out, but I'm guessing there's a formula that will do it faster than my "guess and check"
This is the problem:
(https://puu.sh/xJ1tg/b20024a595.jpg)
From that, I tried to reduce it to actual equations to make it simpler for myself to figure it out. I came up with
A + B + C = 50
A + 6 = B
A + 8 = C
I just kept plugging numbers into the variables until I got the right answers. Surely there's an easier way than throwing a random number into those variables, like an actual formula or process for this?
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Given the above substitute what B equals, and what C equals into the original formula.
A + (A + 6) + (A + 8) = 50
3A = 36
A = 12
thus...
B = 18
C = 20
You did all the hard work by translating the word problem into formulas!
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Surely there's an easier way than throwing a random number into those variables, like an actual formula or process for this?
Write the equations exactly as they are written in the problem:
"middle piece is 6 inches shorter than shortest piece"
M = S + 6 or M - 6 = S
"Shortest piece is 8 inches shorter than the longest piece"
S = L - 8 or L = S + 8
Then make everything in terms of one of the 3 pieces by substituting the above equations into this:
S + M + L = 50