document.write( "Question 23887: Ben wanted to know how old his friend Mr. Stone was. Mr. Stone told him, \"I started school when I was 4-1/2 year old, and I stayed at the same school for 1/6 of my life. I was in the army 1/5 of my life and when I left the army I spent 1/4 of my life as a clerk. Now I have spent 1/3 of my life in retirement.\" How old is Mr. Stone? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #12643 by Sridi(6)![]() ![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! For such problems, use a variable for the age. Call it x.\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Currently Mr. Stone is x yrs old. \n" ); document.write( "He was 4.5 yrs old when he started school.---- 4.5 \n" ); document.write( "For 1/6 of his life , he was in school ------ \n" ); document.write( "in the army 1/5 of my life -------- \n" ); document.write( "1/4 of my life as a clerk ---------- \n" ); document.write( "spent 1/3 of my life in retirement ----- \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "That was his life to date. whatever he has done in life thus far must = his age.\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "x = \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now this is a fraction simplification problem.\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "The LCD for 6, 5, 4 and 3 is 60\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "therefore \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "is now written as \r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Plug this back in the first equation\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "x = \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Subtract 57x/60 from both sides.\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "x = 90 years. \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |