Question

Read this problem.
The tail of a kite is 1.5 feet plus twice the length of the kite. Together, the kite and tail are 15.5 ft long. Find the length of the tail.
Which equation represents the length of the tail if the length of the kite is k?

Answer 1

Let T be the tail length. The equation is
T = 1.5 + 2k.

Using k + T = 15.5:
k + (1.5 + 2k) = 15.5 → 3k + 1.5 = 15.5 → 3k = 14 → k = 14/3 ft.

Then T = 1.5 + 2(14/3) = 65/6 ft ≈ 10.833 ft.