SOLUTION: How to answer- Currently Nicole's father is 46 years old and Nicole is 14 years old, How many does it take until Nicole's father age will be 3 times Nicole's age? My attempt.

Algebra ->  Coordinate Systems and Linear Equations  -> Linear Equations and Systems Word Problems -> SOLUTION: How to answer- Currently Nicole's father is 46 years old and Nicole is 14 years old, How many does it take until Nicole's father age will be 3 times Nicole's age? My attempt.       Log On


   

Question 1183571: How to answer- Currently Nicole's father is 46 years old and Nicole is 14 years old, How many does it take until Nicole's father age will be 3 times Nicole's age?
My attempt.
14x3=42 but Nicole's father is already 46 soy hats younger
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, greenestamps:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39617) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Nicole is 14 y.o.
Father is 46 y.o.

In how many more years Y will 46+Y be 3(14+Y) ?

46%2BY=42%2B3Y
4=2Y
highlight%282=Y%29

Answer by greenestamps(13200) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Here first is another presentation of the solution provided by the other tutor.

Let y be the number of years from now that her father's age will be 3 times her age.

Their current ages are 14 and 46; y years from now their ages will be 14+y and 46+y.

We want to know when 46+y will be 3 times (14+y):

46%2By=3%2814%2By%29
46%2By=42%2B3y
4=2y
y=2

ANSWER: Her father's age will be 3 times her age in 2 years.

CHECK: 14+2=16; 46+2=48; 48=3*16

Here is a very different algebraic approach to solving the problem.

The difference between their ages is 46-14=32 years.

When the father is 3 times as old, their ages can be represented by x and 3x; the difference between their ages will be 3x-x=2x.

But the difference between their ages is 32 years. So 2x=32; x=16.

The father will be 3 times as old as his daughter when their ages are x=16 and 3x=48. Since their ages are currently 14 and 46, that will be 2 years from now.

All the words of explanation make this sound like a longer and slower approach to solving the problem. However, this method of solving the problem can be done mentally in far less time than writing and solving an equation.