\( \overline{P Q} \) is bisected at \( R \). If \( P R=5 x+54 \) and \( R Q=x+14 \), what is the length of \( \overline{P Q} \) ?
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Bonus Knowledge
Since \( R \) is the midpoint of \( \overline{P Q} \), we have \( P R = R Q \). We can set up the equation: \[ 5x + 54 = x + 14 \] Now, let's solve for \( x \). 1. Subtract \( x \) from both sides: \[ 5x - x + 54 = 14 \] \[ 4x + 54 = 14 \] 2. Next, subtract \( 54 \) from both sides: \[ 4x = 14 - 54 \] \[ 4x = -40 \] 3. Now, divide by \( 4 \): \[ x = -10 \] Now we need to find the lengths of \( P R \) and \( R Q \): 1. Calculate \( P R \): \[ P R = 5(-10) + 54 = -50 + 54 = 4 \] 2. Calculate \( R Q \): \[ R Q = -10 + 14 = 4 \] Since both \( P R \) and \( R Q \) equal \( 4 \), we can find the total length of \( \overline{P Q} \): \[ \overline{P Q} = P R + R Q = 4 + 4 = 8 \] Thus, the length of \( \overline{P Q} \) is \( \boxed{8} \).