DANIEL is currently 26 years older than his son. In six years he will be three times his son's age. How old are they now?

Question

I know the answer is 7 and 33 but I did it by trial and error, I need to know the equation

Answer 1

Here's what we know:

d = s + 26 (Daniel is 26 years older than his son)

d + 6 = 3(s + 6) (in six years time, Dan'll be 3 times as old as his son)

 

We have a value for d, so let's plug it in:

s + 26 + 6 = 3(s + 6)

Simplify and distribute:

s + 32 = 3s + 18

Subtract s:

32 = 2s + 18

Subtract 18:

14 = 2s

Divide by 2:

7 = s

 

d = 7 + 26

d = 33