SOLUTION: John is two years older than James, and Matt is half John's age, the sum of their age is 23, how old is James?

Question 982919: John is two years older than James, and Matt is half John's age, the sum of their age is 23, how old is James?
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20059) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

Instead of doing your problem for you, I will do one exactly
like it.  You do yours the same way, using this as a model.

John is three years older than James, and Matt is one-third John's age, the sum
of their age is 25, how old are each of the boys?
John is three years older than James,

Let James' age be x
Then John's age is x+3

and Matt is one-third John's age,

So Matt's age is (x+3)

the sum of their ages is 25,

x + (x+3) + (x+3) = 25
x + x + 3 + (x+3) = 25

   2x + 3 + (x+3) = 25

Multiply through by 3

           6x + 9 + 1(x+3) = 75
            6x + 9 + x + 3 = 75
                   7x + 12 = 75
                        7x = 63
                         x = 9

So James' age = x = 9
John's age = x+3 = 9+3 = 12
Matt's age  (x+3) = {9+3) = (12) = 4    

Edwin

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