document.write( "Question 1168745: Sherry is half as old as her mother. Twelve years ago, she was one third of her mother’s age. Find their ages
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "CAN YOU ALSO PLEASE USE THE GUESS MEHTOD\r
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Algebra.Com's Answer #793357 by Theo(13342)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
guess method.
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "given:
\n" ); document.write( "sherry is half as old as her mother.
\n" ); document.write( "twelve years ago, she was one third the age of her mother.
\n" ); document.write( "unknown:
\n" ); document.write( "what are both their ages now?
\n" ); document.write( "equations:
\n" ); document.write( "let s = sherry's age now.
\n" ); document.write( "let m = her mother's age now.
\n" ); document.write( "today she is half as old as her mother.
\n" ); document.write( "s = 1/2 * m
\n" ); document.write( "twelve years ago, she was one third the age of her mother.
\n" ); document.write( "s - 12 = 1/3 * (m - 12)
\n" ); document.write( "setup:
\n" ); document.write( "these are two equations that need to be solved simultaneously
\n" ); document.write( "they are:
\n" ); document.write( "s = 1/2 * m
\n" ); document.write( "s - 12 = 1/3 * (m - 12)
\n" ); document.write( "solve:
\n" ); document.write( "in the second equation, replace s with 1/2 * m from the first equation to get:
\n" ); document.write( "1/2 * m - 12 = 1/3 * (m - 12)
\n" ); document.write( "simplify to get:
\n" ); document.write( "1/2 * m - 12 = 1/3 * m - 4
\n" ); document.write( "add 12 to both sides of the equation and subtract 1/3 * m from both sides of the equation to get:
\n" ); document.write( "1/2 * m - 1/3 * m = -4 + 12
\n" ); document.write( "put everything on the left hand side of the equation under a common denominator to get:
\n" ); document.write( "3/6 * m - 2/6 * m = -4 + 12
\n" ); document.write( "simplify to get:
\n" ); document.write( "1/6 * m = 8
\n" ); document.write( "solve for m to get:
\n" ); document.write( "m = 8 * 6/1 = 48
\n" ); document.write( "solution:
\n" ); document.write( "sherry is 24 years old now and her mother is 48 years old now.
\n" ); document.write( "confirmation:
\n" ); document.write( "sherry is now 1/2 the age of her mother (24/48 = 1/2)
\n" ); document.write( "12 years ago, sherry was 12 and her mother was 36.
\n" ); document.write( "sherry was 1/3 the ages of her mother 12 years ago (12/36 = 1/3)\r
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