[Slick]

Originally posted by Jack Simth:

quote:

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Originally posted by Slick:
A ship is twice as old as its boiler was when the ship was as old as the boiler is. The sum of their ages is 49 years. How old is the ship and how old is the boiler?

Assuming the boiler at the time referred to was the same age as the ship was at that time....

Ship + Boiler = 49
Ship = 2 * Boiler

=> 2 * Boiler + Boiler = 49
=> 3 * Boiler = 49
=> Boiler = 49/3 = 16 1/3
=> Ship = 2 * 49/3 = 32 2/3

Boiler is 16 and 1/3 years old,
Ship is 32 and 2/3 years old.

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A good shot, but not correct. Deciphering the wording is the hardest part. Once you have a correct algebra equation, you are home free.

Slick.

[ July 31, 2003, 07:23: Message edited by: Slick ]