Answer :
Answer:
Presently, Mark is 8 years old, and Paul is 40 years old.
Step-by-step explanation:
Now:
Mark's age is x
Paul's age is 5x
In 8 years:
Mark's age will be x + 8
Paul's age will be 5x + 8
In 8 years, Paul will be 3 times as old as Mark.
5x + 8 = 3(x + 8)
5x + 8 = 3x + 24
2x = 16
x = 8
5x = 5 × 8 = 40
Answer: Presently, Mark is 8 years old, and Paul is 40 years old.
Check:
In 8 years, Mark will be 16, and Paul will be 48.
48/16 = 3
In 8 years, Paul will be 3 times as old as Mark as the problem states.
The answer above is correct.
Mark's present age is 8 years, and Paul's present age is 40 years.
- Let's define the ages:
Mark is [tex]x[/tex] years old and Paul is 5 times Mark's age, so Paul is [tex]5x[/tex] years old. - In 8 years:
Mark will be[tex]x + 8[/tex] years old, and Paul will be [tex]5x + 8[/tex] years old. - At that time, Paul will be three times as old as Mark, so
[tex]5x + 8 = 3(x + 8)[/tex]
Now, let's solve the equation step-by-step:
- Expand the right-hand side:
[tex]5x + 8 = 3x + 24[/tex] - Subtract [tex]3x[/tex] from both sides:
[tex]2x + 8 = 24[/tex] - Subtract [tex]8[/tex] from both sides:
[tex]2x = 16[/tex] - Divide both sides by[tex]2[/tex]:
[tex]x = 8[/tex]
So, Mark is 8 years old. Paul is 5 times Mark's age, so Paul is 40 years old.