document.write( "Question 152560: please help me with the question: scott is now 24 and shannon is 12 years old. how many years ago was scott 4 times as old as shannon was at that time? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #112135 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The word problem translates into this equation\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"24-x=4%2812-x%29\" where x is the number of years ago that scott was 4 times as old as shannon \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"24-x=4%2812-x%29\" Start with the given equation.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"24-x=48-4x\" Distribute.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-x=48-4x-24\" Subtract \"24\" from both sides.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-x%2B4x=48-24\" Add \"4x\" to both sides.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"3x=48-24\" Combine like terms on the left side.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"3x=24\" Combine like terms on the right side.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=%2824%29%2F%283%29\" Divide both sides by \"3\" to isolate \"x\".\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=8\" Reduce.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "----------------------------------------------------------------------\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the answer is \"x=8\" which means that 8 years ago scott was 4 times as old as shannon
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );