SOLUTION: Paul's age is three years older than Ruth's age. If Emma's age is twice that of Paul's age, find out Paul's age if the total of them two years ago was 51 years.

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Question 1171129: Paul's age is three years older than Ruth's age. If Emma's age is twice that of Paul's age, find out Paul's age if the total of them two years ago was 51 years.
Found 4 solutions by ankor@dixie-net.com, greenestamps, josgarithmetic, MathTherapy:
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let p = Paul's present age
let r = Ruth's
let e = Emma's
:
Write an equation for each statement
:
Paul's age is three years older than Ruth's age.
p = r + 3
or we can write it
r = p - 3
If Emma's age is twice that of Paul's age, find out Paul's age
e = 2p
if the total of them two years ago was 51 years.
(p-2) + (r-2) + (e-2) = 51
Replace r with (p-3) and replace e with 2p
p-2 + p-3-2 + 2p-2 = 51
combine like terms
4p - 9 = 51
4p = 51 + 9
4p = 60
p = 60/4
p = 15 yrs is Paul's age
:
:
:
Check in the last equation; r = 12, e = 30
15-2 + 12-2 + 30-2 =
13 + 10 + 28 = 51
Answer by greenestamps(13200)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!


"Paul's age is three years older than Ruth's age."

That statement is nonsense. Paul's age can't be 3 years older than Ruth's age. Each age is a number, presumably in years. One number can't be older than another....

"Paul is 3 years older than Ruth."

So let Ruth's age be x; then Paul's age is x+3.

"Emma's age is twice that of Paul's age."

So Emma's age is 2(x+3), or 2x+6.

"The sum of their ages 2 years ago was 51."

That means the sum of their ages now is 51+3(2) = 57.






ANSWER: Paul's age is x+3 = 15.
Answer by josgarithmetic(39617)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
p, Paul
r, Ruth
m, EMma

Description literally gives: .

Most equations can be in terms of p, what the question asks for .


Substitute for m and r,
---------solve this.
Answer by MathTherapy(10552)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Paul's age is three years older than Ruth's age. If Emma's age is twice that of Paul's age, find out Paul's age if the total of them two years ago was 51 years.
Let Paul's age be P

Then Ruth's is: P - 3, and Emma's is: 2P

If their ages summed to 51, 2 years ago, then their ages now sum to 51 + 3(2) = 57

We then get: P + P - 3 + 2P = 57

4P = 60

Paul's age, or  

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