document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1200692>Question 1200692</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> John is five times as old as his brother. The difference between their age is twelve years. What is John age? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #834971 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=greenestamps><B>greenestamps(13203)</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=834971\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "You can get good mental exercise and problem-solving experience by solving the problem informally, using logical reasoning and simple arithmetic instead of algebra -- as tutor @ikleyn suggests in her response.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If John is 5 times as old as his brother, then the difference in their ages is 4 times the brother's age.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "But the difference in their ages is given to be 12 years.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Therefore the brother's age is 12/4 = 3.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "And that makes John's age 5*3 = 15.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "ANSWER: 15<br><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And, by the way....<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "If you are going to use formal algebra, using a single variable as tutor @ikleyn does is FAR easier than using two variables, as the other tutors did.<br><BR>\n" );
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