document.write( "Question 203653: Bob Hope was born 2 years after Clark
\n" ); document.write( "Gable and 2 years before Henry Fonda (Doubleday
\n" ); document.write( "Almanac). In 1951, after all three of them had their
\n" ); document.write( "Birthdays, the sum of their ages was 144. In what year were they born?
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #153661 by PRMath(133)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
OK, here goes:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Bob Hope we'll call \"B\"
\n" ); document.write( "Clark Gable we'll call \"C\"
\n" ); document.write( "Henry Fonda we'll call \"H\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Soo..... \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Bob is 2 years younger than Clark so in other words,
\n" ); document.write( "Clark is 2 years older than Bob, which we would write as: C = B + 2\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Bob = 2 years older than Henry so in other words,
\n" ); document.write( "Henry is 2 years younger than Bob, which we would write as: H = B - 2.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now in 1951, their ages added up to be: 144 years. We would say........\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "B + H + C = 144 BUT that is THREE variables. Let's use substitution and change the equation. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "We know from above that C = B + 2.
\n" ); document.write( "We know from above that H = B - 2.
\n" ); document.write( "Now let's substitute:\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "B + H + C = 144\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "B + B - 2 + B + 2 = 144 (See how we substituted in the info for H and C?)
\n" ); document.write( "3B = 144 (We combined like terms. B + B + B = 3B. -2 + 2 = 0)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"%283B%2F3%29\" = \"144%2F3\" (Divided both sides by 3 to isolate \"B\")
\n" ); document.write( "B = 48.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "SO we know that in 1951, Bob was 48 years old.
\n" ); document.write( "Bob is two years younger than Clark, so Clark must have been 50 in 1951.
\n" ); document.write( "Henry is two years younger than Bob, so Henry must have been 46 in 1951. \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let's check. Does \"48+%2B+50+%2B+46+=+144\"? YES! :-) But we're not done!\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "When were they born? Well those were their ages in 1951, so let's subtract all those ages from 1951 to see when they were born.............\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "1951 - 48 = 1903 (BOB)
\n" ); document.write( "1951 - 50 = 1901 (CLARK)
\n" ); document.write( "1951 - 46 = 1905 (HENRY)\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "AND... if you need a further check, just go to internet movie database. :-)\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Anyway, these three years check out with math (and ok, with imdb, too).\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I hope this helps you. :-)\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" );