If a 32 ft rope is cut into two sections with one section 7 times as long as the other section, how long is the shorter piece?
Let x = shorter piece.
x + 7x = 32
since x is the shorter piece
x=8
To find the length of the shorter piece, we can set up a proportion using the information given. Let's represent the length of the shorter piece as "x" and the length of the longer piece as "7x".
According to the problem, the total length of the rope is 32 ft. So, we can write the equation:
x + 7x = 32
Combining like terms:
8x = 32
To solve for x, we divide both sides of the equation by 8:
x = 32/8
x = 4 ft
Therefore, the length of the shorter piece is 4 ft.