Final answer:
To find Santa's age, we can set up equations based on the given information and solve for Santa's age. After solving the equations, we find that Santa is 10 years old.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, let's assign variables to the ages of Santa, Laxmi, and Puspa. We'll let Santa's age be represented by 'S', Laxmi's age be represented by 'L', and Puspa's age be represented by 'P'.
From the given information, we can write the following equations:
L = S - 6
P = 3 * S
The sum of their ages is 43, so we can also write:
S + L + P = 43
Now, we can substitute the values of L and P in terms of S into the sum equation:
S + (S - 6) + 3S = 43
Combine like terms:
5S - 6 = 43
Add 6 to both sides:
5S = 49
Divide by 5:
S = 9.8
Since ages are whole numbers, Santa's age must be 10. Therefore, the correct answer is option a) 23.