A father is three times as old as I am. If he is 26 years older than me, what are our ages?

Question

equation please

Answer 1

Hi Harry,

 

Let your age be x. There are two ways to relate your father's age: 3x, since he is 3 times older than you, and also x + 26 since he is 26 years older. Since both of these expressions represent your father's age in terms of x, we can equate them, and then solve for x:

 

3x = x + 26

 

Then, 2x = 26

 

Then, x = 13.

 

You are 13, and your father is 39, since 39 = 3*13 and also 39 = 13 + 26.