document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=130837>Question 130837</A>This question is from textbook <A HREF=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0131808583/algebrahomeworkh></A><BR>\n" );
document.write( ": <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> melinda's dad is 30 years older than melinda is now. eight years ago, his age was equal to the square of melinda's age then. how old is melinda now? </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #95505 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=solver91311><B>solver91311(24713)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=solver91311><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=solver91311><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=95505\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Melinda is x years old now.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Dad is x + 30 years old now.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Eight years ago, Dad was x + 30 - 8 = x + 22 years old, and Melinda was x - 8 years old.  Melinda's age squared 8 years ago would then be <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-16x%2B64 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-16x%2B64\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-16x%2B64=x%2B22 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-16x%2B64=x%2B22\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=x%5E2-17x%2B42=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"x%5E2-17x%2B42=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-14%2A-3=42 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-14%2A-3=42\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=-14-3=-17 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"-14-3=-17\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >, so:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=%28x-3%29%28x-14%29=0 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"%28x-3%29%28x-14%29=0\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" >.  So, Melinda is either 3 years old, or she is 14 years old.  But the answer 3 is absurd, because that means her age 8 years ago was -5.  So we can exclude that answer as an extraneous root caused by squaring the variable when we set up the problem in the first place.  The correct answer is Melinda is 14.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "14 + 30 = 44\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "14 - 8 = 6, 6 X 6 = 36, and 44 - 8 = 36, answer checks.\r<BR>\n" );
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