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

try this

x=3+h
x+12+(h+12)=51
(3+h+12)+h+12=51
solve for h

assarif

your equation is correct
solve it to get x=12

which checks out

To solve this problem, you need to set up and solve an equation that represents the given information. Let's walk through the process step by step:

1. Start by assigning variables to the unknown quantities. Let's use:
- x for Herb's current age (in years)
- x + 3 for Elenear's current age (since she is three years older than Herb)

2. Determine how the ages will change in twelve years. Herb will be x + 12 years old, and Elenear will be (x + 3) + 12 years old.

3. Write an equation that represents the sum of their ages in twelve years:
(x + 12) + ((x + 3) + 12) = 51

4. Simplify the equation by combining like terms:
x + 12 + x + 3 + 12 = 51
2x + 27 = 51

5. Subtract 27 from both sides of the equation to isolate the variable:
2x = 51 - 27
2x = 24

6. Divide both sides of the equation by 2 to solve for x:
x = 24 / 2
x = 12

So, Herb is currently 12 years old.