A fish was caught off the mouth of the Alpine River and its dimensions were as follows: The head was 6 inches long. The tail was as long as the head, plus half the length of the body. The body was as long as the head and tail combined. How long was the fish?
Answer: If b denotes the length of the body, then the tail was 1/2 b + 6 inches long. We are told that the body is as long as the head and tail combined, so b = 6 + (1/2 b + 6). This means that 1/2 b = 12, and therefore b = 24. The fish was 24 + 24 or 48 inches long.
