Question 492671
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Hi there, I have to figure out how old the youngest person will be when I am three times his age. I have
done the problem and I keep getting an answer that states how old we were 8 years ago. Currently I am 32
and the youngest person is 16.  Please help!  I think I am doing it correctly but I just want to make sure I am.  
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Your are correct, as stated by the other person who responded. 

Let the number of years when you will be 3 times the youngest person's age, be y
Since you're now 32, at that time, you will be 32 + y
And, since the youngest person is now 16, at that time, he/she will be 16 + y
As you will be 3 times the youngest person's age, then, we get the following equation for the number of years when that will be, as:
                                                                                                                32 + y = 3(16 + y)
                                                                                                                32 + y = 48 + 3y
                                                                                                                  y - 3y = 48 - 32
                                                                                                                     - 2y = 16
<font color = red>Number of years when you'll be THRICE the youngest person's age, or {{{y = 16/(- 2) = highlight(- 8)}}}</font>

If you did it this way, you may've been confused by the answer, but it's quite correct. The value of y, - 8, actually indicates that the
time when you'll be 3 times the youngest person's age, is - 8, or 8 YEARS AGO.

So, 8 years ago, you were 32 - 8 = 24, and the youngest person was: 16 - 8 = 8. You were 24 when he/she was 8, which made you 
3 times his/her age, 8 years ago (or - 8)</font></font></font></b></pre>