Joan is 5 years older than Ellen, and 3 years ago the sum of their ages was 17 years. In how many years will Joan be 21 years old?

afsd

j = e+5

j-3 + e-3 = 17

now just find 21-j

wanna have f

To solve this problem, let's break it down step by step.

Step 1: Set up the equations
Let's assume Ellen's current age is "E" and Joan's current age is "J". According to the problem, Joan is 5 years older than Ellen, so we have the equation:
J = E + 5

Step 2: Use the information from 3 years ago
We are given that 3 years ago, the sum of their ages was 17 years. So, we can write another equation:
(E - 3) + (J - 3) = 17

Step 3: Simplify the equations
Let's simplify the equations by expanding the parentheses:
E - 3 + J - 3 = 17
E + J - 6 = 17

Step 4: Substitute the value of J from the first equation into the second equation
We can substitute the value of J from the first equation (J = E + 5) into the second equation:
E + (E + 5) - 6 = 17
2E - 1 = 17

Step 5: Solve for E
To solve for E, add 1 to both sides of the equation:
2E = 18
E = 9

Step 6: Find J
Substitute the value of E (9) into the first equation to find J:
J = E + 5
J = 9 + 5
J = 14

So, currently, Joan is 14 years old and Ellen is 9 years old.

Step 7: Determine how many more years until Joan is 21
To find out how many more years until Joan is 21, subtract Joan's current age from 21:
21 - 14 = 7

Therefore, in 7 years, Joan will be 21 years old.

j

=
20.281718