document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1201295>Question 1201295</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The sums of the ages of Alice Barbie and Cindy is 30. Alice is four times older than Cindy. Barbie is 3 years older than Alice. How old is Cindy  </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #835603 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=835603\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "I will guess that you have posted the problem exactly as it was given to you....<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Unfortunately, the wording makes the problem have no solution in non-negative integers, as is required in age problems.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The difficulty is that \"four times older than...\" does not mean what nearly everybody thinks it means.  \"Four times AS OLD AS\" clearly means that if the one age is x then the other age is 4x.  But \"four times OLDER THAN\" means that if the one age is x then the other age is x+4x = 5x.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "And with the correct interpretation of the problem as you show it, the solution gives ages that are not integers.<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "So almost certainly the intended information is that Alice is 4 times AS OLD AS Cindy.  Then we have<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = Cindy<BR>\n" );
document.write( "4x = Alice (4 times as old as Cindy)<BR>\n" );
document.write( "4x+3 = Barbie (3 years older than Alice)<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "The sum of their ages is 30:<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "x+4x+4x+3 = 30<BR>\n" );
document.write( "9x+3 = 30<BR>\n" );
document.write( "9x = 27<BR>\n" );
document.write( "x = 3<br><BR>\n" );
document.write( "ANSWER: Cindy is x=3 years old<br><BR>\n" );
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