Question 1120944
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The difference between the two numbers is still 42 after 5 has been added to each one.<br>
If the larger number is then three times the smaller, then the difference between the two numbers is twice the smaller (3x-x = 2x).<br>
So when the larger number is three times the smaller, the difference of 42 is twice the smaller number; so the smaller number is 21.  And that makes the larger number 3*21 = 63.<br>
So the larger number before 5 was added to it was 63-5 = 58.