document.write( "Question 1196562: Pls help. \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Elias and Shui are good friends. This year Elias is 48 years older than Shui. Nine years
\n" ); document.write( "ago Elias was three times Shui's age. How old is Elias? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #829453 by Theo(13342)\"\" \"About 
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let x = the current age of elias.
\n" ); document.write( "let y = the current age of shui.
\n" ); document.write( "x = y + 48 means elias is currently 48 years older than shui.
\n" ); document.write( "x - 9 = 3 * (y - 9) means that elias was 3 times as old as shui 9 years ago.
\n" ); document.write( "replace x in the second equation with y + 48 from the first equation to get:
\n" ); document.write( "y + 48 - 9 = 3 * (y - 9)
\n" ); document.write( "simplify to get:
\n" ); document.write( "y + 39 = 3y - 27
\n" ); document.write( "subtract y from both sides of the equation and add 27 to both sides of the eqution to get:
\n" ); document.write( "39 + 27 = 3y - y
\n" ); document.write( "combine like terms to get:
\n" ); document.write( "66 = 2y
\n" ); document.write( "solve for y to get:
\n" ); document.write( "y = 33
\n" ); document.write( "since x = y + 48, then x = 48 + 33 = 81.
\n" ); document.write( "you have x = 81 and y = 33
\n" ); document.write( "9 years ago, x would have been 81 - 9 = 72 and y would have been 33 - 9 = 24.
\n" ); document.write( "72 is equal to 3 * 24, confirming the requirements of the problem.
\n" ); document.write( "your solution is that elias is 81 years old.
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