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2015 AMC 12A Problem 6

Problem 6 of 25EasierAlgebra

Two years ago Pete was three times as old as his cousin Claire. Two years before that, Pete was four times as old as Claire. In how many years will the ratio of their ages be 2:1?2 : 1?

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Solution

Let pp and cc be Pete’s and Claire’s current ages. Then p2=3(c2)p-2 = 3(c-2) and p4=4(c4).p-4 = 4(c-4). Solving these gives p=20p = 20 and c=8,c = 8, so Pete is 1212 years older than Claire. The ratio is 2:12 : 1 when Claire is 12,12, which is 128=412 - 8 = 4 years from now. Thus, the correct answer is B.

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Concepts: ages · system of equations

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.