SOLUTION: Mike and Jay are brothers. Mike is 33. This is 3 times as old as Jay was when Mike was the age that Jay is today. How old is Jay?

Question 259513: Mike and Jay are brothers. Mike is 33. This is 3 times as old as Jay was when Mike was the age that Jay is today.
How old is Jay?

Answer by mathbath(13) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Lets say Jay is "X" yrs old today. --> Statement (1)
Lets say Jay was "Y" yrs old when Mike was what Jay is today that is "X" yrs old. --> Statement (2)
So in short,
Lets say Jay was "Y" yrs old when Mike was "X" yrs old. --> Statement (3)
Now we know from the problem that Mike is 33 yrs old now which is 3 times when Jay was "Y" yrs old.
So,
3Y = 33
Y = 11.
So when Jay was 11 yrs old Mike was "X" yrs old. (From Statement (3) )
Now Mike is 33 today. Lets say it took Mike "Z" yrs to reach 33 from when he was "X"
So,
X + Z = 33
Z = 33 - X --> (4)

Now Jay is "X" yrs old today --> (From Statement (1) )
It took him the same "Z" yrs to reach "X" from when he was 11.
So,
11 + Z = X
Z = X - 11 --> (5)
From (4) and (5)
33 - X = X - 11
33 + 11 = X + X
44 = 2X
44/2 = X
X = 22
So Jay 22 yrs old today.
Verification:
---------------
Mike is 33 today which is 3 times what Jay was which is 11 when Mike was the age what Jay is today which is 22.
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