document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=920534>Question 920534</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help me solve this equation.bill is 3 times as old as james. eighteen years from now, he will be twice as old as james will be then. find the present age of both bill and james. thank you </SPAN>\n" );
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document.write( "let james be x years old<BR>\n" );
document.write( "then bill is 3x years old\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "in 18 years <BR>\n" );
document.write( "james will be x+18 years old and <BR>\n" );
document.write( "bill will be 3x+18 years old so<BR>\n" );
document.write( "in 18 years we'd have to multiply james' age by 2 in order to make it equal to bill's age so the equation is\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "2(x+18)=3x+18 solve for x<BR>\n" );
document.write( "2x+36=3x+18 subtract 2x from each side of equal sign and you get<BR>\n" );
document.write( "36=x+18 subtract 18 from each side and you get<BR>\n" );
document.write( "18=x so james is 18 years old and bill is 18*3=54 years old presently </SPAN>\n" );
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