college algebra word problem study guide

Question

A woman is currently 21 years older than her daughter. Eleven years before the current time, the daughter was two-thirds as old as her mother. What is the current age of the mother?

Answer 1

x=age of daughter this year

 

y=age of mother this year

 

x+21=y

 

x-11=(y-11)*2/3  (eleven years ago)

 

Solving the system of equations for y using substitution

 

x=y-21

 

y-21-11=(y-11)*2/3

 

solve for y

 

y=74 (age of the mother)