document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1180714>Question 1180714</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A father is 3 times older than his son.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Both their ages add up to 54.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "What are their ages? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #810464 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13200)</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=810464\">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 faulty.  Age problems should have whole number answers; this one does not.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "There is also a problem with the statement that the father is \"3 times older than\" his son.  That is a phrase that is almost always used incorrectly to mean that if the son's age is x then the father's age is 3x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "But \"3 times older than his son\" means the son's age, x, PLUS \"3 times more\" his son's age (3x), making \"3 times older than x\" equal to x+3x=4x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Note that is similar to an increase of 300% in a number making the number 4 times as big as it was previously.  The original 100% of the number, plus the increase of 300%, makes a total that is 400% of the original number.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The statement of a math problem should NEVER use the phrase \" 3 times older than\" or \"5 times larger than\", because the intended meaning is almost never the correct meaning.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "This problem is especially badly created, in that the solutions are not whole numbers with EITHER interpretation of the given information....<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( " </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );