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.
What is the length of the kite?

Answer 1

Let k = length of the kite (ft) and t = length of the tail (ft).

We are given:
t = 1.5 + 2k
k + t = 15.5

Substitute t into the second equation:
k + (1.5 + 2k) = 15.5
3k + 1.5 = 15.5
3k = 14
k = 14/3 = 4 2/3 ft (≈ 4.6667 ft)

Then
t = 1.5 + 2(14/3) = 1.5 + 28/3 = 65/6 = 10 5/6 ft (≈ 10.8333 ft)

Answer: tail = 10 5/6 ft, kite = 4 2/3 ft.