SOLUTION: The difference between two numbers is 42. If five is added to each of them, the larger number becomes three times the smaller number. What is the larger number at the start?

Question 1120944: The difference between two numbers is 42. If five is added to each of them, the larger number becomes three times the smaller number. What is the larger number at the start?

Found 3 solutions by Alan3354, MathTherapy, greenestamps:
Answer by Alan3354(69443)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The difference between two numbers is 42. If five is added to each of them, the larger number becomes three times the smaller number. What is the larger number at the start?
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The difference remains 42 after adding.
After adding 5:
x - y = 42
x = 3y
----
3y - y = 42
y = 21
x = 63

Answer by MathTherapy(10552)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

The difference between two numbers is 42. If five is added to each of them, the larger number becomes three times the smaller number. What is the larger number at the start?

Larger number:
Answer by greenestamps(13200)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

The difference between the two numbers is still 42 after 5 has been added to each one.

If the larger number is then three times the smaller, then the difference between the two numbers is twice the smaller (3x-x = 2x).

So when the larger number is three times the smaller, the difference of 42 is twice the smaller number; so the smaller number is 21. And that makes the larger number 3*21 = 63.

So the larger number before 5 was added to it was 63-5 = 58.
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