The length of a pipe is 9 m 2 cm long. Sarah cut the pipe into 3 pieces. The length of the first piece of the pipe is 38 cm. The length of the second piece of the pipe is 2 m shorter than the third piece. What is the length of the third piece of pipe?
1 m = 100 cm

Difference in the length between the second and the third piece
= 2 m
= 2 x 100
= 200 cm

Length of a pipe
= 9 m 2 cm
= 9 x 100 + 2
= 902 cm

Length of the first piece = 38 cm
Length of the second piece = 1 u
Length of the third piece = 1 u + 200 cm

1 u + 1 u + 200 + 38 = 902
2 u + 238 = 902
2 u = 902 - 238 = 664
1 u = 664 ÷ 2 = 332 

Length of the third piece of pipe
= 1 u + 200
= 332 + 200
= 532 cm

Answer(s): 532 cm