document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=344035>Question 344035</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> OK my word problem is \"Melissa is 24 years younger than Joyce. In 2 years, Joyce will be 3 times as old as Melissa will be then. How old are they now?\"\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "My teacher told me to set it up into a table. How i think the table will be set up like this:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "        Now -------- In 2 yrs<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Melissa: x-24        x-24+2<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Joyce: x             3(x-24+2)<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And when i set up the equation it came out to be:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x-24+2=3(x-24+2)\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Im not sure if that is the right way to set it up. I am horrible at Algebra and i really need your help\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So my question is: Is my equation set up right or do i need to do it a whole dfferent way? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #246164 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ewatrrr><B>ewatrrr(24785)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=ewatrrr><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=ewatrrr><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=246164\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> You have the right idea!..Just using more info than you need to solve at first.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "The way to look at it is that Joyce will \"always\" be 24 yrs older than Melissa!<BR>\n" );
document.write( "so..the 2 years is not important information to set up the equation you need AT FIRST if you just let J be Joyces age in two years time.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "THE QUESTION STATES THEN THE FOLLOWING TO BE TRUE(in two years)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Joyce will be 3 times as old as Melissa and, as always, 24 years older.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "J =3(J-24) \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Simplify:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "J = 3*J -72<BR>\n" );
document.write( "0=2*J -72<BR>\n" );
document.write( "72=2*J<BR>\n" );
document.write( "J=36 (THAT'S THE AGE JOYCE WILL BE IN 2 YEARS) Melissa(36/3)or 12 in two years<BR>\n" );
document.write( "How old are they now?\" Joyce is 34 and Melissa is 10\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Check your answer: Joyce is always 24 years older than Melissa.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "In this case it was the easiest to just set up what the problem said would be true in two years and work backwards from there! \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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