The 28 cm segment is divided into three unequal segments. The average of them is 8 cm.
The 28 cm segment is divided into three unequal segments. The average of them is 8 cm. What is the distance between the midpoints of the extreme segments?
1. Find how much is the length of the two extreme segments together, subtracting the length of the middle segment from the entire length:
28 – 8 = 20 (cm).
2. Let one segment “a” cm, and the other “b” cm, then a + b = 20 cm. Each of these segments was divided into equal parts. Let’s write down what the sum of the halves of these segments is equal to:
(a + b) / 2 = 20/2 = 10 (cm).
3. Find the distance between the midpoints of the extreme segments, if in the middle between them there is still a segment of 8 cm:
10 + 8 = 18 (cm).
Answer: the distance between the midpoints of the extreme segment is 18 cm.