SOLUTION: fred is 4 years older than barney. five years ago the sum of their ages was 48 how old are they now

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Question 346209: fred is 4 years older than barney. five years ago the sum of their ages was 48 how old are they now
Answer by ewatrrr(24785) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Hi,
*Note: Fred "will be and always was" 4 years older than Barney
.
Let f be Freds age and b be Barneys's age "five years ago"
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the question states the following to be true:
f + b = 48 substitute for fred's age (b + 4)
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(b + 4) + b = 48
2b = 44
b= 11 Barney's age five years ago.
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Barney is NOW 16 and Fred 20