Question

In 9 years time a mother will be twice as old as her son 3 years ago she was 4 times as old as a son find their present ages simple calculation showing each and every step so I can understand

Answer 1

Let's denote the present ages of the mother and son as M and S, respectively.

According to the information given:

1) In 9 years, the mother will be twice as old as her son.
M + 9 = 2(S + 9)

2) 3 years ago, the mother was 4 times as old as her son.
M - 3 = 4(S - 3)

Now we have a system of two equations:

1) M + 9 = 2S + 18
2) M - 3 = 4S - 12

Let’s solve this system of equations:

From equation 1:
M = 2S + 9 - 18
M = 2S - 9

Replace M in equation 2:
2S - 9 - 3 = 4S - 12
2S - 12 = 4S - 12

Subtract 2S from both sides:
-12 = 2S - 12

Now, Divide by 2:
-12/2 = S - 6
S = -6 + 6
S = 0

Now that we have the son's age, let's find the mother's age using equation 1:

M = 2(0) - 9
M = -9

Therefore, the mother's present age is 9 years old, and the son's present age is 0 years old.