A 52 in. board is cut into two pieces. One piece is three times the length of the other. Find the length of the other piece.
x + 3x = 52
To find the length of the other piece, we can set up a system of equations.
Let's say the length of the shorter piece is "x" inches, then the length of the longer piece is 3x inches.
Since the total length of the board is 52 inches, we can write the following equation:
x + 3x = 52
Combining like terms, we get:
4x = 52
To solve for x, we divide both sides of the equation by 4:
x = 52 / 4
Simplifying, we find:
x = 13
Therefore, the length of the shorter piece is 13 inches, and the length of the longer piece is 3 * 13 = 39 inches.