document.write( "Question 386672: Tom is 4 times as old as Todd. In 7 years Tom's age will be 5 years less than 3 times as old as Todd. How old is Todd? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #275564 by gwendolyn(128)\"\" \"About 
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let x=Tom's age
\n" ); document.write( "let y=Todd's age
\n" ); document.write( "Tom is 4 times as old as Todd. This can be translated into an equation:
\n" ); document.write( "x=4y
\n" ); document.write( "In 7 years, Tom will be 5 years younger than three times Todd's age. This means that when both Todd's age and Tom's age are 7 years greater, Todd's age times three minus 5 will be equal to Tom's age. Since the variables x and y represent Tom's and Todd's current ages, their ages in 7 years can be expressed as (x+7) and (y+7). So, the equation looks like the one below:
\n" ); document.write( "(x+7)=3(y+7)-5
\n" ); document.write( "First, we'll distribute the three over the second set of parentheses.
\n" ); document.write( "(x+7)=3y+21-5
\n" ); document.write( "The parentheses around x+7 are unnecessary, so they can be deleted. The two terms in the second half of the equation which have no variables can be combined.
\n" ); document.write( "x+7=3y+16
\n" ); document.write( "Now, we can substitute the value of x in terms of y from the first equation into the second.
\n" ); document.write( "x+7=3y+16
\n" ); document.write( "4y+7=3y+16
\n" ); document.write( "Now, we can subtract 3y from both sides of the equation.
\n" ); document.write( "4y+7=3y+16
\n" ); document.write( "4y+7-3y=3y+16-3y
\n" ); document.write( "y+7=16
\n" ); document.write( "Finally, we subtract 7 from both sides to find y.
\n" ); document.write( "y=9
\n" ); document.write( "The equation asks for Todd's age, which y represents. Therefore, Todd's age is 9. \n" ); document.write( "
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