document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=253447>Question 253447</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Mary is three times older than Joseph the sum their ages is 29 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #185745 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Nikki456><B>Nikki456(9)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-05.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Nikki456><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=Nikki456><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=185745\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Since you didnt specify what the question was, I assume that you meant to find their ages. You could let mary be represented as x and joseph be represented as y. So you could set up two equations and substitute:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "1)3y=x<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2)x+y=29\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You substitute equation 1 into 2. you get\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "3) 3y+y=29<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplify:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3)4y=29 <BR>\n" );
document.write( "y:7.25\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "To find Mary's age, you could plug in your answer for Joseph into the first equation. \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "1)3(7.25)= 21.75\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So your answer would be:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Mary= 21.75 or 21 3/4 yrs old<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Joseph= 7.25 or 7 1/4 yrs old </SPAN>\n" );
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