THE BEST ANSWER IS E. TRANSLATE THE STATEMENTS INTO VARIABLES

17. The best answer is E. Translate the statements into variables: Let X, Y and Z be the thee pieces of the rope, X<Y<Z. Statement (1) can be written as: X + Y = 14. Statement (2) can be written as: Y + Z = 22. In order to find the length of the smallest piece, we need another equation or data. More data is required.