John is 3 times as old as Martha. Six years ago the sum of their ages was fifty-two. How old are they now?
A) John is 48; Martha is 16
B) John is 60; Martha is 20
C) John is 63; Martha is 21
D) John is 45; Martha is 15
E) John is 51; Martha is 17

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Let Martha's current age be x. Then, John's current age is 3x. Six years ago, their ages were (x-6) and (3x-6) respectively. The sum of their ages six years ago was 52, so (x-6) + (3x-6) = 52. Solving this equation gives x = 16, which means Martha is 16 and John is 48.

John Is 3 Times as Old as Martha