document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1166222>Question 1166222</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Maria is 36 years old. Maria was twice as old as Adrian was when Maria was as old as  Adrian is now. How old is Adrian?  <BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #790707 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=790707\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> m = maria's age now.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a = adrian's age now.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "maria is 36 years old now, so the formula for that is m = 36.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "maria was twice as old as adrian was when maria was as old as adrian is now.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "let x = the number of years ago when this occurred.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "if you let x equal the number of years ago when maria was as old as adrian is now, then the formula for that is m - x = a\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the statement says that maria was twice as old as adrian was when maria was as old as adrian is now.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the formula for that is m - x = 2 * (a - x)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since (m-x) = a, then replace a in this formula to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m - x = 2 * (m - x - x)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "combine like terms to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m - x = 2 * (m - 2x)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "simplify to get m - x = 2m - 4x<BR>\n" );
document.write( "subtract m from both sides of the equation and add 4x to both sides of the equation to get 4x - x = 2m - m<BR>\n" );
document.write( "combine like terms to get 3x = m\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "since m = 36, then you get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3x = 36<BR>\n" );
document.write( "solve for x to get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = 12\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "since m - 14 = a, then we also know that a is equal to 24.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "your original formulas were:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = 36<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m - x = a<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m - x = 2 * (a - x)\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "when m = 36 and x = 12, the formulas become:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m = 36 stays the same<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m - x = a becomes 36 - 12 = 24 which becomes 24 = 24 which is true.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "m - x = 2 * (a - x) becomes 36 - 12 = 2 * (24 - 12) which becomes 24 = 24 which is also true.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "the values of m = 36 and x = 12  and a = 24 are good.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "your solution is that adrian is 24 years old.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );