document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=233484>Question 233484</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A mother is five times as old as her son. If twice the age of the son is 3 years less than half of the mother, how old are they? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #172309 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><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/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=172309\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> let m = the mother's age.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "let s = the son's age.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "m = 5*s\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Twice the age of the son is 3 years less than half of the mother's age.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2*s = (1/2)*m - 3\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "replace m from the first equation with 5*s in the second equation to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2*s = (1/2)*5*s - 3\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "multiply both sides of the equation by 2 to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "4*s = 5*s - 6\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "subtract 4*s from both sides of the equation and add 6 to both sides of the equation to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "s = 6\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "since m = 5*s, this makes m = 30\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2 * 6 = 12\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "30/2 = 15 - 3 = 12\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "12 is twice the age of the son.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12 is half the mother's age minus 3\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "since they're the same, looks like we're good.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "mother is 30 years old.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "son is 6 years old.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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