The length of a broken line consisting of three links is 15 cm. The length of one link is 4 cm.

The length of a broken line consisting of three links is 15 cm. The length of one link is 4 cm. Find the length of the other two links if one of them is 1 cm shorter than the other.

The solution of the problem:

If the length of one link is 4 cm, and the entire broken line of three links is 15 cm, then we find the sum of the other two:

15 – 4 = 11 cm.

Let the length of one of these links be x (cm), the length of the second one is 1 cm shorter and is:

x – 1 (cm).

Let’s compose and solve the equation for the sum of the lengths of these links:

x + (x – 1) = 11,

x + x – 1 = 11,

2x = 12,

x = 6 cm;

x – 1 = 6 – 1 = 5 cm.

Answer: the length of the other two links is 5 and 6 cm.