Gustav’s father is seven times as old as he is. A year ago, he was nine times as old as Gustav. Find Gustav’s present age.
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To find Gustav's present age, we can use algebraic equations based on the given information.
Let's assume Gustav's present age is represented by the variable 'g.'
According to the problem, Gustav's father is seven times as old as Gustav, so his father's present age would be 7g.
A year ago, Gustav's age would be (g - 1) and his father's age would be (7g - 1).
The problem states that a year ago, Gustav's father was nine times as old as Gustav. Therefore, we can set up the equation:
7g - 1 = 9(g - 1)
Now, we can solve this equation to find Gustav's present age:
7g - 1 = 9g - 9
Subtract 7g from both sides:
-1 = 2g - 9
Add 9 to both sides:
8 = 2g
Finally, divide both sides by 2:
g = 4
Therefore, Gustav's present age is 4 years old.