SOLUTION: bobs youth lasted one sixth of his life. he grew a beard after one twelfth more. after one seventh more of his life, he married. 5 years later he and his wife had a son. the son li

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Question 894383: bobs youth lasted one sixth of his life. he grew a beard after one twelfth more. after one seventh more of his life, he married. 5 years later he and his wife had a son. the son lived exactly one half as long as his father, and bob died four years after his son. how many years did bob live?
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
let a = his age at death
write an expression for each statement:
bobs youth lasted one sixth of his life.
1%2F6a
he grew a beard after one twelfth more.
1%2F12a
after one seventh more of his life,
1%2F7a
he married. 5 years later he and his wife had a son. the son lived exactly one half as long as his father, and bob died four years after his son. how many years did bob live?
5 + 1%2F2a + 4
:
Write an equation for all this
a = 1%2F6a + 1%2F12a + 1%2F7a + 5 + 1%2F2a + 4
multiply by 84 and cancel the denominators
84a = 14a + 7a + 12a + 420 + 42a + 336
Combine like terms
84a = 75a + 756
84a - 75a = 756
9a = 756
a = 756/9
a = 84 yrs old when he died