present ages:
John ---- x
Ernie --- x-5
in 10 years:
John --- x+10
Ernie --- x-5 + 10 = x+5
x+10 = 3(x+5)
solve for x and you will see that this question is bogus,
check your typing
John ---- x
Ernie --- x-5
in 10 years:
John --- x+10
Ernie --- x-5 + 10 = x+5
x+10 = 3(x+5)
solve for x and you will see that this question is bogus,
check your typing
1. Ernest is 5 years younger than John. Let's represent John's age as "x", so Ernest's age would be "x - 5".
2. In ten years, John's age will be 3 times Ernest's age. So, in ten years, John's age would be "x + 10", and Ernest's age would be "(x - 5) + 10".
Now, let's set up the equation based on the second piece of information:
x + 10 = 3 * (x - 5 + 10)
Distribute the 3 on the right side:
x + 10 = 3x - 15 + 30
Combine like terms:
x + 10 = 3x + 15
Subtract x from both sides to isolate the x term:
10 = 2x + 15
Subtract 15 from both sides:
-5 = 2x
Divide both sides by 2:
-5/2 = x
Therefore, John's age (x) is -5/2 (or -2.5).
To find Ernest's age, substitute the value of x into "x - 5":
Ernest's age = -2.5 - 5 = -7.5
However, it doesn't make sense for someone to have a negative age or a fraction of a year. Therefore, it seems there might be an error in the information provided or in the calculations. Please double-check the given information or rework the calculations to find their actual ages.