SOLUTION: Hello, I need help setting up the equation. The problem is: In 16 years Dana will be five times older than she was four years ago. In how many years will Dana celebrate her 16t

Question 1137112: Hello, I need help setting up the equation. The problem is:
In 16 years Dana will be five times older than she was four years ago. In how many years will Dana celebrate her 16th birthday?
D=Dana
(D x 5) - 4 = 16
does not seem correct. Thanks for your help.
Answer by Theo(13342) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let x equal her age today.

in 16 years, she will be 5 times older than she was 4 years ago.

the equation for that would be x + 16 = 5 * (x - 4) + (x - 4).

simplify that equation to get x + 16 = 6 * (x - 4).

that means she will be 6 times as old as she was 4 years ago.

simplify that equation to get x + 16 = 6 * x - 24.

add 24 to both sides of this equation and subtract x from both sides of this equation to get 40 = 5 * x.

solve for x to get x = 40 / 5 = 8.

she is 8 years old today.

4 years ago she was 4 years old.

16 years from now, she will be 24 years old.

24 years old / 4 = 6.

that means that she will be 6 times 4 years old in 16 years.

if she will be 6 times 4 years old in 16 years, subtract 4 from that and you will get she is 20 years older than 4 years old which means she is 5 times older than she was 4 years ago.

24 / 4 = 6 times as old.

(24 - 4) / 4 = 20 / 4 = 5 times older.

if this is not the answer you are looking for, then send me an email and i'll revise the answer from her being 5 times older to her being 5 times as old.

there is a difference between the two statements and it's a very important difference.

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