SOLUTION: Four years ago, Michelle was 3 times as old as lenlen. The sum of their ages now is 48. How old are they?

Question 1148769: Four years ago, Michelle was 3 times as old as lenlen. The sum of their ages now is 48. How old are they?
Answer by ikleyn(52781) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.


If the sum of their ages is 48 years now, then 4 years ago the sum of their ages was 48-2*4 = 40 years,


and at the same time, Michelle was 3 times as old as Lenlen.


It means that 4 years ago Michelle was 30 years and Lenlen was 10 years old.


Hence, now they are 34 and 14 years old, respectively.    ANSWER

Solved.

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Surely, the problem can be solved using Algebra and equation,
but, actually, the problem is SO SIMPLE that it can be solved MENTALLY, without using equation.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

There is a bunch of lessons on age word problems
    - Age problems and their solutions
    - A fresh formulation of a traditional age problem
    - Really intricate age word problems
    - Selected age word problems from the archive
    - Age problems for mental solution
in this site.

Read them and become an expert in solving age problems.

Also, you have this free of charge online textbook in ALGEBRA-I in this site
    - ALGEBRA-I - YOUR ONLINE TEXTBOOK.

The referred lessons are the part of this online textbook under the topic "Age word problems".

Save the link to this online textbook together with its description

Free of charge online textbook in ALGEBRA-I
https://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/quadratic/lessons/ALGEBRA-I-YOUR-ONLINE-TEXTBOOK.lesson

to your archive and use it when it is needed.

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