A piece of string is 40 cm long. It is cut into three pieces. The longest piece is 3 times as
long as the middle-sized and the shortest piece is 23 cm shorter than the longest piece. Find the
length of the shortest piece(in cm) ?

• 4 cm.
  
  Let the middle-sized piece be x cm, then longest piece=3x and shortest piece=(3x-23) cm.
  Total length=3x + x + (3x-23) = 40 cm.
  => 7x=63 or x=9 cm.
  Hence length of shortest piece=3x-23 = 3*9 - 23 = 4 cm.
• 6 years agoHelpfull: Yes(3) No(0)
• let the length of longest piece is 3x and the medium sized piece is x and the smallest piece is 3x -23.
  Then according to question:-
  3x+x+3x-23=40 ==> 7x=40+23 ==> 7x=63 ==>
  x=9;
  Longest piece is: = 3x=27;
  Medium sizes piece is: x=9;
  Shortest piece is 27-23 =4;
• 6 years agoHelpfull: Yes(2) No(0)