Final answer:
By defining Sue's age as S and creating an equation based on the given ages and their relations, we deduce that Sue is 8 years old after solving the simple algebraic equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is dealing with a problem that involves simple algebra. In this problem, we want to find the age of Sue. We are given the relative ages of three individuals and their total combined age. Let's define Sue's age as S. According to the problem, Leah is 6 years older than Sue, so Leah's age is S + 6. John is 5 years older than Leah, making his age S + 6 + 5, which simplifies to S + 11. The total combined age of Sue, Leah, and John is 41 years. Therefore, we can write the equation:
S + (S + 6) + (S + 11) = 41
To find Sue's age, we combine like terms:
3S + 17 = 41
Subtracting 17 from both sides gives us:
3S = 24
Dividing both sides by 3, we find:
S = 8
Therefore, Sue is 8 years old.