You can
put this solution on YOUR website!youngest=x
middle=y
oldest=z
The youngest kept half and gave 1/4 each to her sisters
x:
y:Y+
z:Z+
The middle gave the oldest and youngest 4 each
x:
+4
y:Y+
-8
z:Z+
+4
the oldest kept half z so (Z+
+4) becomes:
+
+2
she gives half of that to each sister so they receive: (
+
+1)
x:
+4+(
+
+1)=16
y:Y+
-8+(
+
+1)=16
z:
+
+2=16
+4+(
+
+1)=16 <--subtract
and 4 from both sides
(
+
+1)=16-4-
(
+
+1)=12-
y+
-8+(
+
+1)=16 <--subtract y and
and add 8 to both sides
(
+
+1)=16+8-y-
(
+
+1)=24-y-
since 12-
and 24-y-
both equal (
+
+1), you can equate them and solve for y:
12-
=24-y-
12-
=24-y-
<--add
to both sides
12=24-y+
<--add y to both sides
12+y=24+
<--subtract 12 from both sides
y=12+
to solve for z:
+
+2=16 <--subtract 2 from both sides
+
=14 <--subtract
from both sides
=14-
<--multiply both sides by 2
z=28-
plug it back to x+y+z=48
x+(12+
)+(28-
)=48
x+
-
+12+28=48
x+40=48
x=8
since the youngest=x, she is 8 years old
middle y=(12+
)=12+
=12+2=14
oldest z=28-
=28-
=28-2=26
They are 8, 14, and 26 years old.
(