document.write( "Question 1117400: Helen is 8 years older than Jane. Twenty years ago Helen was three times as old as Jane. How old is each now? (i need the equation) \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #732473 by greenestamps(13203)\"\" \"About 
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\n" ); document.write( "Start with the fact that Helen was 3 times as old as Jane 20 years ago.

\n" ); document.write( "Let Jane's age 20 years ago be x; then Helen's age then was 3x.

\n" ); document.write( "The difference between their ages back then was 2x.

\n" ); document.write( "But the difference between their ages is 8.

\n" ); document.write( "So 20 years ago, 2x was 8, so x was 4. That means Jane's age 20 years ago was x=4 and Jane's age then was 3x=12.

\n" ); document.write( "And so now, 20 years later, their ages are 4+20=24 and 12+20=32.
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