Final answer:
To find the lengths of the two pieces of the pipe, we can set up an equation. The longer piece is represented by x and the shorter piece by x - 3. By solving the equation x + (x - 3) = 13, we find that the longer piece is 8ft and the shorter piece is 5ft.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, we can set up an equation. Let x represent the length of the longer piece. Since the shorter piece is 3ft shorter, its length would be x - 3. According to the problem, the sum of the lengths of the two pieces should equal to 13 ft. So, we have the equation:
x + (x - 3) = 13
Simplifying this equation gives us 2x = 16, and dividing both sides by 2, we find that x = 8. Therefore, the longer piece of the pipe is 8ft and the shorter piece is 8ft - 3ft = 5ft.