Question

Meg is 6 years older than Victor. Meg's age is 2 years less than five times Victor's age. The equations below model the relationship between Meg's age (m) and Victor's age (v):
m = v + 6
m = 5v − 2

Which is a possible correct method to find Meg's and Victor's ages?

Answer 1

Since no possible correct method is posted, I will suggest a couple.

Method 1: guess and check

Works well for simple problems involving integers like this one.

Victor's age must be zero or greater than one, say one.

Guess v=1, find m=v+6=7, check m=5v-2=5-2=3 no good.

we need to make v bigger

Guess v=2, find m=v+6=2+6=8, check m=5v-2=5*2-2=8 ✔

So v=2, m=8.

Method 2:

Solve the system of two equations.

since the left-hand sides is m in both equations, and since m=m, we just have to equate the right-hand sides to solve for v.

5v-2=v+6

Solve for v

5v-v = 6+2

4v=8

v=2,

so again, v=2, m=v+6=2+6=8.