SOLUTION: Maria is 8 years older than her brother, and the sum of their ages is 72 years. How old is her brother?

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Question 1148975: Maria is 8 years older than her brother, and the sum of their ages is 72 years. How old is her brother?
Found 2 solutions by addingup, MathTherapy:
Answer by addingup(3677) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
M + b = 72
M + 8 = b
therefore:
M + M + 8 = 72
solve for M:
2M + 8 = 72
2M = 64
M = 32
and her brother is 32 + 8 = 40

Answer by MathTherapy(10552) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Maria is 8 years older than her brother, and the sum of their ages is 72 years.
How old is her brother?
Let her brother's age be B

Then she's B + 8

We then get: B + B + 8 = 72

2B = 64

B, or brother is: highlight_green%28matrix%281%2C4%2C+64%2F2%2C+%22=%22%2C+32%2C+years-old%29%29

The other person is "DEAD" WRONG!