Puzzle
When the Timpkinses married, eighteen years ago, Timpkins was three times as old as his wife, and today he is just twice as old as she; how old was Mrs. Timpkins on her wedding day?
(Don't read the comments if you want to try your hand at this first!)
(Don't read the comments if you want to try your hand at this first!)
She was 18 and he was 54 when they got married. Is this right?
ReplyDeleteYep! (I knew having Marbella on here would blow the class curve :-)
ReplyDeleteI came up with the same answer in 4 tries. Helping the cub daily with algebra helped. Good math riddle.
ReplyDeletehmmmm...
ReplyDeletegiven...b=3s
b+18=(s+18)2
to get rid of the b...
3s+18=2(s+18)
since its balanced whatever i do to one side i gotta do to the other like subtracting 18
3s+18 -18= 2(s+18) -18
3s=2s+36-18
3s=2s+18
s=(2s+18)/3
s= 2/3s + 6
s-2/3s=6
1/3 s=6
s=18
So Mrs T. was 18, Mr. T. was 54
18 years later mrs. T was 36
Mr. T was 72
So the answer would be Mrs. T was 18 on her wedding day.
OK, I'm go'in mess with ya...what's wrong with the following...
ReplyDelete18 + x = 2x
18 = x
:-)
my old algebra teacher use to ask me the same type questions, I sense a conspiracy.
ReplyDelete