Question

Taylor is five times as old as Spenser. The sum of their ages is eighteen. How old are Taylor and Spencer?​

Answer 1

⠀⠀ıllıllı uoᴉʇnloS ıllıllı

$\setlength{\unitlength}{1.0 cm}}\begin{picture}(12,4)\thicklines\put(1,1){\line(1,0){6.5}}\put(1,1.1){\line(1,0){6.5}}\end{picture}$

Answer:

• Spenser is 3 years old and Taylor is 15 years old.

Given:

• Taylor is five times as old as Spenser. The sum of their ages is eighteen.

Need To Find:

• How old are Taylor and Spencer?

Explanation:

Let x represent Spenser's age

Therefore:

• Taylor's age is 5x

➠ x + 5x = 18

➠ 6x = 18

➠ x = 3

• Hence, Spenser is 3 years old and Taylor is 15 years old.

$\setlength{\unitlength}{1.0 cm}}\begin{picture}(12,4)\thicklines\put(1,1){\line(1,0){6.5}}\put(1,1.1){\line(1,0){6.5}}\end{picture}$

Answer 2

Let us assume the age of Spenser's to be 'a' years.

If our assumption is correct then the age of Taylor according to the question is '5a'.

The sum of their ages is given as 18.

Framing a linear equation according to the question:

a + 5a = 18

6a = 18

Taking 6 to the other side of the equation we get:

a = 18/6

a = 3

Therefore, the value we obtain for 'a' is 3.

Therefore, the age of Spenser is 3 years as we had assumed the age of Spenser as 'a'.

Calculating the age of Taylor:

= 5a

Putting the value of a:

= 5 x 3

= 15 years

Therefore, the age of Taylor is 15 years.