Question

If Rhett is 5 years older than Scarlett and the product of their ages is 36, how old is Scarlett

Answer 1

Scarlett is 4 years old

Explanation:

Let's assume Scarlett's age is represented by S. According to the information given, Rhett is 5 years older than Scarlett, so Rhett's age can be represented as S + 5.

The product of their ages is given as 36, so we have the equation:

S * (S + 5) = 36

Expanding the equation:

S^2 + 5S = 36

Rearranging the equation:

S^2 + 5S - 36 = 0

Now, we can solve this quadratic equation to find the value of S, which represents Scarlett's age. Factoring the equation, we have:

(S + 9)(S - 4) = 0

This equation is satisfied if either (S + 9) = 0 or (S - 4) = 0.

If (S + 9) = 0, then S = -9, which is not a valid age.

If (S - 4) = 0, then S = 4.

Therefore, Scarlett is 4 years old.