Jane has two pieces of ribbon.One piece is 10cm longer than the other.the total of the two pieces is 40cm.how long is the shorter piece?
x + x + 10 = 40
2x = 30
x = 15
To find the length of the shorter piece of ribbon, let's set up an equation.
Let's say the length of the shorter piece is x cm. According to the given information, the longer piece is 10 cm longer than the shorter piece, so its length is (x + 10) cm.
The total length of the two pieces is 40 cm, so we can combine the lengths of the two pieces:
x + (x + 10) = 40
Now, let's solve the equation to find the value of x:
2x + 10 = 40 (combined like terms)
2x = 30 (subtracted 10 from both sides)
x = 15 (divided both sides by 2)
Therefore, the shorter piece of ribbon is 15 cm long.