document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1170564>Question 1170564</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Dave is x years old his sister is 5 years older his father is 5 times older than dave what age is dave  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #795434 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13198)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><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=greenestamps><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=795434\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The statement of the problem is flawed, because no information is given about the actual ages, or the sum of the ages.  That makes it impossible to find a solution.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If the sum of the ages had been given, the problem would still be flawed, because of the use of the phrase \"his father is 5 times older than Dave\".<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Nearly always, a casual reader interprets \"5 times older than\" to be the same as \"5 times as old as\".  But they are different.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If an age is x, then the age that is 5 times AS OLD AS x is clearly 5 times x, or 5x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "But if an age is x, then the age that is 5 times OLDER THAN x is x, plus 5 times MORE x, which is x+5x = 6x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The phrase that says one age is n times OLDER than another age should never be used in the statement of a math problem, because the meaning is probably not what the author of the problem intended.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );