Answer:So, Sam is currently 20 years old, and Liza is currently 28 years old.
Step-by-step explanation:Let's use algebra to solve this problem.
Let S represent Sam's current age, and let L represent Liza's current age. According to the given information, their ages are in the ratio 5:7, so we can write:
S/L = 5/7
Now, let's express their ages in terms of a common variable:
S = 5x
L = 7x
Now, we are told that four years later, the sum of their ages will be 56 years. So, we can write an equation based on this information:
(S + 4) + (L + 4) = 56
Now, substitute the expressions for S and L from above:
(5x + 4) + (7x + 4) = 56
Now, simplify and solve for x:
5x + 7x + 8 = 56
Combine like terms:
12x + 8 = 56
Subtract 8 from both sides:
12x = 56 - 8
12x = 48
Now, divide by 12 to solve for x:
x = 48 / 12
x = 4
Now that we have found the value of x, we can determine Sam and Liza's current ages:
S = 5x = 5 * 4 = 20
L = 7x = 7 * 4 = 28
So, Sam is currently 20 years old, and Liza is currently 28 years old.