Answer:
Length of the first piece = 26 inches
Length of the second piece = 16 inches
Explanation:
Let the length of the second piece = x
2 times the length of the second piece =2x
6 less than 2 times the length of the second piece = 2x-6
Then the sum of the lengths
[tex]x+2x-6=42[/tex]First, we solve for x.
[tex]\begin{gathered} 3x=42+6 \\ 3x=48 \\ x=\frac{48}{3} \\ x=16\text{ inches} \end{gathered}[/tex]The length of the first piece will be:
[tex]\begin{gathered} =2x-6 \\ =2(16)-6 \\ =32-6 \\ =26\text{ inches} \end{gathered}[/tex]