Final answer:
To find Thomas's age, a system of equations was set up where Huilan's age is two times Thomas's. The combined ages sum up to 72. By solving the system, it is determined that Thomas is 24 years old.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve for Thomas's age given that Huilan's age is two times Thomas's age and the sum of their ages is 72, we can set up a system of equations.
Let T represent Thomas's age and H represent Huilan's age. According to the problem:
- H = 2T (Huilan's age is two times Thomas's age)
- H + T = 72 (The sum of their ages is 72)
Plugging the first equation into the second one, we get:
- 2T + T = 72
- 3T = 72
- T = 72 / 3
- T = 24
Therefore, Thomas's age is 24 years old.