SOLUTION: 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

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Age -> SOLUTION: 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       Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


    

Question 1201295: 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
Found 2 solutions by josgarithmetic, greenestamps:
Answer by josgarithmetic(39616) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
---------------------------------------
Alice is four times older than Cindy.
---------------------------------------
?? 

ALICE             c+4c=5c
BARBIE              5c+3
CINDY               c
Sum                30

5c%2B%285c%2B3%29%2Bc=30
-
11c%2B3=30
11c=27
c=27%2F11
c=2%265%2F11

You know you need to fix the problem exercise.

Answer by greenestamps(13198) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


I will guess that you have posted the problem exactly as it was given to you....

Unfortunately, the wording makes the problem have no solution in non-negative integers, as is required in age problems.

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.

And with the correct interpretation of the problem as you show it, the solution gives ages that are not integers.

So almost certainly the intended information is that Alice is 4 times AS OLD AS Cindy. Then we have

x = Cindy
4x = Alice (4 times as old as Cindy)
4x+3 = Barbie (3 years older than Alice)

The sum of their ages is 30:

x+4x+4x+3 = 30
9x+3 = 30
9x = 27
x = 3

ANSWER: Cindy is x=3 years old