To solve this problem, let's assign variables to each person's age. Let's say Sue's age is represented by 'x' years.
According to the information given:
Leah's age = Sue's age + 6
John's age = Leah's age + 5
And the total of their ages is 41:
Sue's age + Leah's age + John's age = 41
Now, let's substitute the expressions for Leah's age and John's age in terms of Sue's age into the total age equation:
x + (x + 6) + ((x + 6) + 5) = 41
Simplifying the equation:
x + x + 6 + x + 6 + 5 = 41
3x + 17 = 41
Next, we'll solve for x by isolating the variable:
3x = 41 - 17
3x = 24
x = 24 / 3
x = 8
So, Sue is 8 years old.