SOLUTION: A boy is two years more than twice as old as his mother. The sum of their ages is nine years more than the age of their sister. If the sister is three years younger than the older

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Question 994596: A boy is two years more than twice as old as his mother. The sum of their ages is nine years more than the age of their sister. If the sister is three years younger than the older boy, find the age of each.
Found 3 solutions by macston, josgarithmetic, MathTherapy:
Answer by macston(5194) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
This problem makes no sense.
A boy cannot be more than twice as old as his mother.

Answer by josgarithmetic(39617) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
b, boy
m, his mother
s, sister of boy
-
MUST expect b%3Cm;


system%28b=2%2B2%2Am%2Cb%2Bm=9%2Bs%2Cs=-3%2Bb%29

system%282m-b=-2%2Cm%2Bb-s=9%2Cb-s=3%29

Use the last two equations to eliminate s, and have a simpler system.
-s=3-b
s=b-3
-
m%2Bb-%28b-3%29=9
m%2Bb-b%2B3=9
m%2B3=9
highlight%28m=6%29------?
-
Use the middle equation of the system to eliminate m.
m%2Bb-s=9
6%2Bb-s=9
b-s=6---------This creates a contradiction.

This result shows b-s=6 and one of the system equations was b-s=3. They cannot both be part of the system of equations. One of them may be true, but then this makes the other false.

Your problem description is wrong.

Answer by MathTherapy(10552) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

A boy is two years more than twice as old as his mother. The sum of their ages is nine years more than the age of their sister. If the sister is three years younger than the older boy, find the age of each.
Just looking at this problem, it makes absolutely no sense. How can a child be older than his/her mother? It would be utterly senseless mad time-wasting to

even attempt to do anything with it. Couldn't you have spent the time to copy the problem correctly? I guess not!!