I have another question that stumped me

Line segment AB with length a is divided by points P and Q into three line segments: AP , PQ, and QB , such that AP = 2PQ=2QB. Find:
A)the distance between point A and the midpoints of the segments the segment QB
B) the distance between the midpoints of segments AP and QB.

I don't get what this question wants from me can you please describe the proces and the steps for this question
Thanks
:)

You know that

AP+PQ+QB = a

Now, AP = 2PQ = 2BQ
That means that PQ = QB and that gives us

2PQ + PQ + PQ = a
4PQ = a
PQ = a/4

Let M be the midpoint of QB
Let N be the midpoint of AP
AM = AP+PQ+ QB/2
= a/2 + a/4 + a/8 = 7a/8
NM = AP/2 + PQ + QB/2
= a/4 +a/4 + a/8 = 5a/8

Draw and label the line segment AB and you can see this is true.

a. 7/8 a

b. 5a/8
checked on math program and says correct :))

To solve this problem, we need to understand the given information and use it to find the required distances. Let's break it down step by step:

Step 1: Understand the given information
We are given that line segment AB has a length of "a". It is divided by points P and Q into three line segments: AP, PQ, and QB. The relationships between these segments are given as AP = 2PQ = 2QB.

Step 2: Determine the lengths of the segments
Since AP = 2PQ = 2QB, we can assign variables to these lengths. Let's say PQ = x. Then AP = 2x and QB = 2x.

Step 3: Determine the length of AB
Since AP + PQ + QB = AB, we can substitute the lengths we have determined into this equation:
2x + x + 2x = a
5x = a
x = a/5

Step 4: Determine the length of AP
Since AP = 2x, we can substitute the value of x we found in step 3:
AP = 2(a/5) = 2a/5

Step 5: Determine the length of QB
Since QB = 2x, we can substitute the value of x we found in step 3:
QB = 2(a/5) = 2a/5

Step 6: Determine the midpoints of QB
The midpoint of a line segment is simply the average of its endpoints. Thus, the midpoint of QB is (Q + B)/2. Since we have already determined that QB = 2a/5, we need to find the coordinates of Q and B.

Step 7: Determine the coordinates of Q and B
We don't have any specific information about the coordinates of Q and B, so we will treat them as variables. Let's say the coordinates of Q are (x1, y1) and the coordinates of B are (x2, y2).

Step 8: Determine the coordinates of the midpoint of QB
Using the midpoint formula, we can find the coordinates of the midpoint of QB:
[(x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2]

Step 9: Determine the distance between point A and the midpoints of segment QB
The distance formula between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is given by:
√((x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2)

In this case, the points are A and the midpoint of QB. The coordinates of A are (0, 0) since it is the starting point of the line segment.

Step 10: Determine the distance between the midpoints of segments AP and QB
We need to find the midpoints of AP and QB using the same process as in steps 6 and 8. Then we can use the distance formula as in step 9 to find the distance between these midpoints.

By following these steps, you should be able to find the answers to both parts A and B of the question.

Sure! Let's break down the question and go through the process step by step.

Given:
- Line segment AB with length a
- Points P and Q divide AB into three segments: AP, PQ, and QB
- AP = 2PQ = 2QB

We need to find:
A) The distance between point A and the midpoints of the segment QB.
B) The distance between the midpoints of segments AP and QB.

Let's start with part A:

Step 1: Visualize the problem
Draw a line segment AB and mark point P and Q on it. Then split the line segments AP, PQ, and QB into equal parts, where AP = 2PQ = 2QB. Remember that we are interested in finding the distance between point A and the midpoint of segment QB.

Step 2: Find the length of QB
Since AP = 2PQ = 2QB, we can assign a value to QB. Let's say QB = x.

Step 3: Find the length of AP
Since AP = 2PQ = 2QB, AP = 4x.

Step 4: Find the length of PQ
Since PQ = x, we can find all the other lengths using the given ratios.

Step 5: Find the length of AB
AB = AP + PQ + QB = 4x + x + x = 6x
But we know that the length of AB is a, so we can set up an equation:
6x = a

Step 6: Solve for x
Divide both sides of the equation by 6:
x = a/6

Step 7: Find the midpoint of QB
Since we know that QB = x, the midpoint of QB is the point that is x/2 units away from point Q. So, the midpoint of QB is Q' and Q'Q = x/2.

Step 8: Find the distance between point A and Q'
To find AQ', we substitute the known values:
AQ' = AQ + Q'Q = 3x + x/2

And that's the answer to part A!

Now let's move on to part B:

Step 1: Visualize the problem
Before we can solve part B, let's draw the line segments AP, PQ, and QB again and mark their midpoints.

Step 2: Find the midpoint of AP
Since AP = 4x, the midpoint of AP is the point that is 2x units away from point A. Let's call this point A'.

Step 3: Find the distance between A' and Q'
To find the distance between the midpoints of AP and QB, we need to find the distance between A' and Q'. We already have the expressions for AQ' and AQ from part A, so we can substitute these values into the equation:
A'Q' = AQ' - AQ = 3x + x/2 - 2x

And that's the answer to part B!

To summarize:
A) The distance between point A and the midpoint of segment QB is 3x + x/2.
B) The distance between the midpoints of segments AP and QB is 3x/2.

Remember, these answers are in terms of x, so if you need specific numerical values, you'll need to substitute the value of x.