Question

The sum of Molly and Bobby’s ages is 14. If Molly is 5 years older than twice Bobby’s age, how old is each child?

Answer 1

Answer:

Molly is 11 and Bobby is 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

Let Molly's age be m and Bobby's age be b.

$m+b=14$

Subtract b from both sides:

$m=14-b$ (Equation 1)

$m=5+2b$ (Equation 2)

$14-b=5+2b$ (Both equations are equal to each other as they are equal to m)

Subtract 14 from both sides:

$14-b-14=5+2b-14$

$-b=2b-9$

Subtract 2b from both sides:

$-3b=-9$

Divide both sides by -3:

$\frac{-3b}{-3}=\frac{-9}{-3}$

$b=3$

Since $m+b=14$, $m=11$.