SOLUTION: Tommy is twice as old as Billy. If in two years the sum of their age is 79. How old is Tommy and Billy?

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Question 628267: Tommy is twice as old as Billy. If in two years the sum of their age is 79. How old is Tommy and Billy?
Answer by MrLarame(2) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If Tommy is twice as old as Billy, then we can use variables to represent their ages like this:
B = Billy's Age
B * 2 = Tommy's Age
Then, if their two ages add up to be 2 years less than 79, we can write the whole question in "math language" as:
B + B*2 = 79 - 2
Now we simplify, since 1B added to 2B's is 3B's, we get:
3B = 77
If 3 B's is 77, then 1 B would be 1/3 of 77, or 77/3.
B (Billy's age) is 25 2/3 or 25 years and 8 mos.
Since Tommy is twice that old, his age is 50 years and 16 months or 51 years and 4 mos.