elenear is three years older than herb. in twelve years the sum of their ages will be 51. how old is herb today?
i did this so far but i don't know what to do next?
let x represent herb's age
x+3 represent elenear's age
x+12+x+3+12= 51
That's very good so far. Now combine terms and solve, as follows.
2x + 27 = 51
2x = 24
x = 12 (Herb's age)
x+3 (Eleanor's age) = 15
The sum of their ages is 27 NOW but will be 51 in 12 years.
Note correct spelling of the subject
To solve the problem, you have correctly set up the equation. Let's simplify it further:
x + 12 + x + 3 + 12 = 51
Now, combine like terms:
2x + 27 = 51
Next, isolate the variable x by subtracting 27 from both sides:
2x = 51 - 27
2x = 24
Divide both sides by 2 to solve for x:
x = 24 / 2
x = 12
Therefore, Herb is currently 12 years old.