SOLUTION: the sum of the ages of a man and his wife is 63. In nine years, the wife’s age plus one fifth of her husbands age will equal the husbands age. How old is each now?

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Question 1149274: the sum of the ages of a man and his wife is 63. In nine years, the wife’s age plus one fifth of her husbands age will equal the husbands age. How old is each now?
Found 3 solutions by josmiceli, MathTherapy, ikleyn:
Answer by josmiceli(19441) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let +a+ = the man's age now
Let +b+ = his wife's age now
------------------------------------
(1) +a+%2B+b+=+63+
(2) +b+%2B+9+%2B+%281%2F5%29%2A%28+a+%2B+9+%29+=+a+%2B+9+
--------------------------------------------
(2) +5b+%2B+45+%2B+a+%2B+9+=+5a+%2B+45+
(2) +5b+%2B+45+%2B+9+=+4a+%2B+45+
(2) +4a+-+5b+=+9+
---------------------------
Multiply both sides of (1) by +5+
and add (1) and (2)
(1) +5a+%2B+5b+=+315+
(2) +4a+-+5b+=+9+
----------------------------
+9a+=+324+
+a+=+36+
and
(1) +a+%2B+b+=+63+
(1) +36+%2B+b+=+63+
(1) +b+=+27+
-------------------------
The man is 36
The wife is 27
-------------------------
check the math

Answer by MathTherapy(10552) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
the sum of the ages of a man and his wife is 63. In nine years, the wife’s age plus one fifth of her husbands age will equal the husbands age. How old is each now?
Let the man's age be M
Then the wife's is: 63 - M
We then get: matrix%281%2C3%2C+63+-+M+%2B+9+%2B+%281%2F5%29M%2C+%22=%22%2C+M+%2B+9%29
matrix%281%2C3%2C+-+M+%2B+M%2F5+-+M%2C+%22=%22%2C+9+-+63+-+9%29
matrix%281%2C3%2C+-+2M+%2B+M%2F5%2C+%22=%22%2C+-+63%29
matrix%281%2C3%2C+-+10M+%2B+M%2C+%22=%22%2C+-+315%29 ------ Multiplying by LCD, 5
matrix%281%2C3%2C+-+9M%2C+%22=%22%2C+-+315%29
Man's age, or
Wife's age: highlight_green%28matrix%281%2C3%2C+63+-+35%2C+%22=%22%2C+highlight%2828%29%29%29
To IKLEYN: I thought the same thing when I saw @josmiceli's answer, that he was wrong.
However, this problem has to do with what's discussed every day in this forum: INTERPRETATION of a problem as presented.
I shouldn't have responded because this problem is quite VAGUE, in my opinion. These are the interpretations based on our answers:
My INTERPRETATION
the sum of the ages of a man and his wife is 63. In nine years, the wife’s age plus one fifth of her husbands age, NOW will equal the husbands age, THEN. How old is each now?
@josmiceli's INTERPRETATION
the sum of the ages of a man and his wife is 63. In nine years, the wife’s age plus one fifth of her husbands age, THEN will equal the husbands age, THEN. How old is each now?
As I mentioned before, I should've left it alone since it can be interpreted both ways, and since the author is looking for 1 answer, one of us would definitely have the incorrect answer.

Answer by ikleyn(52787) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

The solution by the tutor @MathTherapy has an error in the third line.

Therefore, everything what follows is incorrect.

I do not want to touch it, since I hope @MathTherapy will fix it on his own.

Sincerely, @ikleyn.


----------

The easiest way to see that his answer is wrong is to try to take 1%2F5 from the husband's age in 9 years (of 35+9 years).


/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The @josmiceli' solution is correct.


=================

@MathTherapy, thanks for your explanations.

Now everything is clear to me (and I hope, to the visitor, too).

I leave my post, in order for all explanations would seem natural and reasonable . . .