To find this, first we subtract the extra 3 feet from the original 27 feet.
27-3=24
Then, we divide the left over length by three. This will provide us with the length for the shorter piece.
24/3=8
The shorter piece will be 8 feet long.
Now, we double that to find the longer piece without the additional 3 feet.
8x2=16
And we add those two (8 and 16) together to make sure it is equal to the 24 we divided into 3 earlier.
16+8=24
Now all that's left is to add the extra 3 feet to the 16 feet.
16+3=19
And add that to the 8 feet, to check to make sure the lengths add up to our original 27 feet.
19+8=27
Therefore, the two pieces are the following lengths:
Shorter piece: 8 feet
Longer piece: 19 feet
