Question

The ages of three sisters are consecutive integers. The sum of their ages is 72. Calculate their ages.

Write an equation, in standard form, that could be used to evaluate their ages.
What is the 1st child's age?
years old
What is the 2nd child's age?
years old
What is the 3rd child's age?
years old
Remember: before you move on to the next question, make sure their ages add up to the total sum.

Answer 1

The ages of the three sisters are 23, 24, and 25 years old, found by writing an equation based on their consecutive ages and the given sum of 72. Following the solution to the equation, we confirm that their ages add up to the total sum.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve the problem of finding the ages of three sisters with consecutive integer ages whose sum is 72, we can use algebra. Let's assume the age of the youngest sister is x years. Since their ages are consecutive integers, the age of the second sister would be x+1 and the third sister x+2 years. The equation representing the sum of their ages would be:

x + (x + 1) + (x + 2) = 72

Combining like terms, we get:

3x + 3 = 72

Subtracting 3 from both sides, we have:

3x = 69

Dividing by 3, we find:

x = 23

Therefore, the youngest sister is 23 years old. The second child is:

x + 1 = 24 years old

And the third child is:

x + 2 = 25 years old

After adding their ages (23 + 24 + 25), we confirm that the sum is 72, as given in the problem statement.

Answer 2

Answer: 1st: 23 years old, 2nd: 24 years old, 3rd: 25 years old

Step-by-step explanation:

Let the ages a, b and c

a + b + c = 72

b = a + 1 (b is consecutive to a)

c = a + 2 (c is consecutive to b)

a + a + 1 + a + 2 = 72

3a +3 = 72

3a = 72-3 = 69

a = 69/3 = 23 years old, that is the 1st child's age

b = a + 1 = 24 years old, that is the 2nd child's age

c = a + 2 = 25 years old, that is the 3rd child's age

Verification

a + b + c= 23 + 24 + 25 = 72 years


`\textit{\textbf{Spymore}}`