To solve the problem, you can make a drawing, since this makes it easier to understand the situation. Like this
So you have
[tex]x+2x=105[/tex]
And then it only remains, solves for x
[tex]\begin{gathered} x+2x=105 \\ 3x=105 \\ \text{ Divide both sides of the equation by 3} \\ \frac{3x}{3}=\frac{105}{3} \\ x=35 \end{gathered}[/tex]
Therefore, the length of the shorter piece is 35 inches.
