I dont understand how to work this out... If possible, please explain how you got your answer.

Thanks!

What is the rate of return when 20 shares of Stock A, purchased for $30/share, are sold for $710? The commission on the sale is $6. Rate of Return = [?] %

(Give your answer as a percent rounded to the nearest tenth.)

Best answer that i found on yahoo ok   set :   x= length of 2nd piece in cm  x- 3= length of 1st piece in cm  x-4= length of 3rd piece in cm  then since you know they all came from the 20 cm ribbon you add them together and set them equal to 20x+ x-3 +x-4 = 20  3x - 7= 20  3x= 27  x= 9  the shortest piece is the third piece which is x- 4  x-4  9-4 = 5  the length of the smallest piece is 5 cm.  the other lengths are  9 cm  6 cm