39 foot into 3 pieces one is 13 feet the other pieces add up to the
remaining wire which is 39-13=26 so the two remaining pieces are x and y one must be 2 less than 3 times the
other x must be 2 less than 3 times the y x=-2+3y x=3y-2 x+y=remaining=26 26=x+y x=3y-2 subsitute 26=3y-3+y add like terms 26=4y-2 add 2 to both sides 28=4y divide by 4 7=y subsitute 7+x=26 subtract 7 x=19 19>7 7 feet is the legnth of the shorter
piece
