Can you help me figure this out? Please!

[Anonymous]

Sara is half as old as Sondra. Sol is 3 days younger than Sal and one-sixth as old as Sigmund. Sherry is 12 days older than Sigmund and twice as old as the combined ages of Sal and Sara. And the total of the ages is twice the age of 72 days.

Thanks for any help you can give. Freshman in HS

[Anonymous]

I'm too old for this shit. Sorry freshie.

[Anonymous]

Do your own homework, kid.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

You better not have given me any advice on here

[Anonymous]

It is a fairly straightforward problem. If you want to be a sophomore, figure it out for yourself.

[Anonymous]

42. The answer is always 42.

[Anonymous]

I've always been super bad at math, especially story problems, but have usually been able to figure these out. Draw it out on paper. That usually works for me. I put the names or stick figures in order of age. Or you can put them in a row with stats below them, then put them in order with a number under them. The key is to visualize it.

[Anonymous]

So, basically no one knows the anwser.

[Anonymous]

Answer to what? What is the question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, basically no one knows the anwser.

Give us the answer and we will let you know if you are right

[Anonymous]

Seriously, do your own homework.

Signed,
Your math teacher

[Anonymous]

This problem is much more annoying with all the names starting with the same letter. I would rename them all something different and then construct all the equations.
To start you off:
Sara = Sondra/2
Sol = sal - 3
Sol = sigmund/6
Sherry = 12+ sigmund

Sherry = 12+ (sol* 6)
Sherry = 2* (sal + Sara)
Sherry = 2* ( sol+3+ Sara)

Keep going. It's convoluted but not hard.

[Anonymous]

Ok, I think I got it. (no guarantees)

Sara = x
Sondra = 2x
Sol = y
Sal = y + 3
Sigmund = 6y
Sherry = 6y + 12 or 2 [(y+3) + x]
total = 144

First, you need to figure out what X is in terms of y. So you use Sherry to solve for X

6y + 12 = 2y + 6 + 2x
4y + 6 =2x
2y + 3 =x

So now you add up all the ages, replacing 2y + 3 for x.

(2y +3) + 2(2y +3) + y + y+3 + 6y + 6y + 12 = 144
2y + 3 + 4y + 6 +2y +3 +12y + 12 = 144
20y + 24 = 144
20y = 120
y = 6

Sol = y = 6
Sal = y+3 = 9
Sigmund = 6y = 36
Sherry = 6y+12 = 48
Sara = (2y + 3) = 15
Sondra = 2(2y+3) = 30
total = 144

[Anonymous]

The answer is Toonces is the oldest (and the best driver).

Yay, 2.0!!!

PS - the only math you really need to know is basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Period.

Signed,

Lawyer