Sarah is four years older than her brother Tom. If the sum of their ages is 22, how old is each of them?

Answer 1

Let's substitute x for Tom's age and y for Sarah's age and summarize question as two equations:

1) Sarah is four years older than her brother Tom... i.e. y = x + 4

2) sum of their ages is 22... i.e. x + y = 22

Subtract Eq 1 from Eq 2 side-by-side: x + y - y = 22 - (x+4) => x = -x + 18

Add x to both sides: x + x = -x + 18 + x => 2x = 18

Divide both sides by 2: 2x/2 = 18/2 => x = 9

Substitute value of x in Eq 1: y = 9 + 4 => y = 13

Answer: Sarah's age is 13 and Tom's age is 9

Answer 2

Here are two different methods to find Sarah's and Tom's ages! Either one will get you to the correct answer.

Answer 3

Sarah's age is y, and Tom's age is x, with their total age being 22, and Sarah's age is 4 years older than Tom's age. Therefore, y = x + 4. If that's the case, then y + x = x + x + 4 = 2x + 4 = 22. 22 minus 4 equals 18. 18 divided by 2 equals 9, which equals x, which is Tom's age. Thus, Tom's age is 9 years old. Now, Sarah's age is y = x+4. Add 9 to 4, and then y = 13. Thus, Sarah's age is 13 years old.

Answer 4

Sarah is four years older than her brother Tom. If the sum of their ages is 22, how old is each of them?

If Tom's age is x, Sarah's age is (x+4)

Together, they are 22. That is x + (x+4) = 22, solve for x.

x = 9

So, Tom is 9 years old while Sarah is 13.

Answer 5

Let Tom’s age be:

x

Sarah’s age is:

x+4

Combine their ages and sum to 22 years:

x+(x+4)=22

2x+4=22

2x=18

x=9

Tom is 9 years old, and Sarah is 13 years old.

Answer 6

Call T Tom's age and S Sarah's age.

S = T + 4 (Sarah is 4 years older than Tom is.)

S + T = 22 (the sum, addition, of their ages.)

Substitute T + 4 for S:

T + 4 + T = 22

Add like terms.

2T + 4 = 22

Subtract 4 from both sides.

2T = 18

Divide both sides by 2.

T = 18/2 = 9

S = T + 4 = 9 + 4 = 13

Sarah is 13.

Tom is 9.