Josh is hiking Glacier National Park. He has now hiked a total of 17 km and is 2 km short of being [tex]$\frac{1}{2}$[/tex] of the way done with his hike.

1. Write an equation to determine the total length in kilometers [tex]$(h)$[/tex] of Josh's hike.
2. Find the total length of Josh's hike.
[tex]\[ \boxed{\text{ km}} \][/tex]



Answer :

To determine the total length [tex]\( h \)[/tex] of Josh's hike, we are given that 17 km is 2 km short of being half the total hike. Let's break down the information step-by-step and formulate the equation.

1. We know Josh has hiked 17 km so far.
2. He is 2 km short of being halfway done with his hike. Therefore, if we add 2 km to the 17 km, we get the distance that is exactly half of the total hike length.
3. Adding 17 km and 2 km gives us 19 km.

This distance of 19 km represents half of the entire hike. Using this information, we can set up the equation as follows:

[tex]\[ \frac{1}{2}h = 19 \][/tex]

To find the total length [tex]\( h \)[/tex], we need to solve for [tex]\( h \)[/tex] by isolating it on one side of the equation. We do this by multiplying both sides of the equation by 2:

[tex]\[ h = 2 \times 19 \][/tex]

Now, calculate the product:

[tex]\[ h = 38 \][/tex]

Thus, the total length of Josh's hike is

[tex]\[ \boxed{38} \][/tex] km.