Question #25a29

1 Answer
Oct 27, 2016

Jake is #48/49# years old; Jan is #1 47/49# years old.
Unlikely that this was the intended answer but I couldn't find any way of interpreting the question that gave reasonable results.

Explanation:

(Assuming "5 2a times Jake's.." should be "52 times Jake's..."
and that the "less 48" applies to 52 times Jake's age).

Let Jake's age be #x#
and Jan's age be #y#

We are told
[1]#color(white)("XXX")y=2x#
and
[2]#color(white)("XXX")x+y=52x-48#

Substituting #2x# for #y# (from [1]) into [2]
#color(white)("XXX")x+2x=52x-48

#color(white)("XXX")3x=52x-48

#color(white)("XXX")0=49x-48#

#color(white)("XXX")48=49x#

#color(white)("XXX")x=48/49#

and since #y=2x#
#color(white)("XXX")rarr y= 1 47/49#