document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1118415>Question 1118415</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\">  The present ages of Ali and Mike are in the ratio 5: 3. If Ali had been 7 years older<BR>\n" );
document.write( "and Mike 7 years younger, the age of Ali would have been 3 times the age of Mike.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Find their present ages. </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #733719 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><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=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=733719\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> a equals the age of ali now.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m equals the age of mike now.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the ratio of ali's age to mike's age now is 5/3.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you get a/m = 5/3.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "cross multiply to get 3a = 5m\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "solve for a to get a = 5m/3.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "if ali was 7 years older and mike 7 years younger, then ali's age would be 3 times mike's age.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the equation for this is a + 7 = 3 * (m - 7\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "simplify to get a + 7 = 3m - 21.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "solve for a to get a = 3m - 28.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "you have two equations that need to be solved simultaneously.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "they are:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a = 5m/3\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a = 3m - 28\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "since 5m/3 and 3m - 28 are both equal to a, then they are equal to each other and you get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "5m/3 = 3m - 28.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "muiltiply both sides of this equation by 3 to get:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "5m = 9m - 84\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "subtract 9m from both sides of this equation to get -4m = -84.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "divide both sides of this equation by -4 to get m = 21.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "that's mike's age now.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the ali's age to mike's age now is 5/3 and from that we derived a = 5m/3.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "a = 5m/3 becomes a = 5 * 21/3 which becomes a = 5 * 7 which becomes a = 35.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "ali's age now is 35 and mike's age now is 21.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "the ratio of ali's age now to mike's age now is 35/21 which is equal to 5/3.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "if ali was 7 years older, he would be 42.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "if mike was 7 years younger, he would be 14\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "3 * 14 = 42.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "solution looks good.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "solution is:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "ali's age now is 35 and mike's age now is 21.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
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