Erin is 1/3 the age of Connor. 3 years ago the sum of their ages was 38. How old is Erin today?
Connor is 3 times as old as Erin. If her age is x, then we have
(x-3) + (3x-3) = 38
To find out Erin's age, we need to set up equations based on the given information.
Let's assume Erin's age now is E, and Connor's age now is C.
We are given that Erin is 1/3 the age of Connor, so we can write the equation: E = (1/3)C.
We are also given that three years ago, the sum of their ages was 38, so we can write the equation: (E - 3) + (C - 3) = 38.
Now, we can solve these equations simultaneously to find the values of E and C.
Substituting the first equation into the second equation, we get: ((1/3)C - 3) + (C - 3) = 38.
Combining like terms and simplifying the equation, we have: (1/3)C + C - 6 = 38.
Multiplying both sides of the equation by 3 to eliminate the fraction, we get: C + 3C - 18 = 114.
Combining like terms again, we have: 4C - 18 = 114.
Adding 18 to both sides of the equation, we get: 4C = 132.
Dividing both sides of the equation by 4, we find C = 33.
Now, to find Erin's age, substitute this value of C into the first equation: E = (1/3)(33).
Simplifying, we have E = 11.
Therefore, Erin is currently 11 years old.