Question

Pablo folds a straw into a triangle with side lengths of 4x2 – 3 inches, 4x2 – 2 inches, and 4x2 – 1 inches. The perimeter of the triangle is 12x2 – 6 inches. If x = 1.5, what was the length of the straw before it was folded?

Answer 1

It's asking for the length of the straw prior to folding, which is equivalent to the perimeter of the triangle, given as 12x^2 - 6. It's also given that x=1.5. Simply substitute 1.5 as x. That would be 12(1.5)^2 - 6, then you'll get you final answer. Be sure to include units (in this case inches). The other values and sidelengths were just given to fool you, as the perimeter of the triangle is already given.