If Ann is 6 years older than her sister, Sue, and John is 5 years older than Ann, and the total of their ages is 41. Then how old is Sue?
A = S + 6
J = A + 5
A + J + S = 41
A + (A +5) + (A-6) = 41
3 A = 42
Take it from there
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To determine Sue's age, we'll first establish a variable to represent her age. Let's say Sue's age is "S".
According to the information provided, Ann is 6 years older than Sue. Hence, Ann's age would be "S + 6".
Additionally, John is 5 years older than Ann. So, John's age can be expressed as "(S + 6) + 5" or "S + 11".
To find Sue's age, Ann's age, and John's age, we'll add up their ages and set them equal to the total age given:
S + (S + 6) + (S + 11) = 41
Now we can solve the equation for Sue's age:
Combine like terms on the left side:
3S + 17 = 41
Subtract 17 from both sides of the equation:
3S = 24
Divide both sides of the equation by 3:
S = 8
Therefore, Sue is 8 years old.