document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=26872>Question 26872</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> HELP!<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Latoya is twice as old as her cousin was 3 years ago.  If the sum of their ages now is 15, how old is each one of them? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #14631 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bmauger><B>bmauger(101)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-09.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bmauger><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=14631\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> This is a matter of converting English into algebra, so let's look at it word by word.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "\"Latoya\" - let's create the variable L to stand for Latoya's age<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"is\" - means \"=\"<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"twice as old as\" means we will be multiplying by 2.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"her cousin\" - we need a new variable C to represent her cousin's age<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"was three years ago\" - 3 years ago means we will have to subtract 3\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So our first sentence boils down to \"Latoya (L) is (=) twice as old as (2 times) her cousin (C) three years ago (-3)\" or:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=L=2C-3 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"L=2C-3\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The second part says:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"The sum of\" - means we'll be adding together<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"their ages now\" - L & C<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"is\" - still means equals<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\"15\" - 15<BR>\n" );
document.write( "This translates to:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=L%2BC=15 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"L%2BC=15\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Now you have two equations, that you can solve either through elimination, substitution, graphing, or any other way you've been taught to solve for the ages of each L & C. </SPAN>\n" );
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