WORD PROBLEMS IN

ALGEBRA
 AGE PROBLEMS
•Carmen is 12 years older than
David. Five years ago, the sum of
their ages was 28. How old are they
now?
Present Age Age 5 years ago
David X X–5
Carmen X + 12 (x + 12) – 5 = x + 7
x – 5 + x + 7 = 28 Present Age
2x + 2 = 28 David: x = 13 years old
2x = 28 – 2 Carmen = x + 12
2x/2 = 26/2 = 13 + 12
x = 13 = 25 years old
• The sum of the ages of Nicole and Kristin is
32. In two years, Nicole will be three times
as old as Kristin. How old are they now?
Present Age Age in 2 years
Nicole 32 - x 32 – x + 2 = 34 - x
Kristin x x+2
34 – x = 3(x + 2) Present Age
34 – x = 3x + 6 Kristine: x = 7 years old
34 – 6 = 3x + x Nicole: 32 – x
28/4 = 4x/4 = 32 – 7 = 25 years old
7=x
•Louise is 26 years old. Her daughter
Carmen is 4 years old. In how many
years will Louise be double her
daughter’s age?
Present age In x years
Louise 26 26 + x
Carmen 4 4+x
26 + x = 2(4 + x)
26 + x = 8 + 2x
26 – 8 = 2x – x
18 = x Therefore, in 18 years, the age
of Louise will be double than her
daughter’s age.
•The sum of the ages of John and Mary
is 32. Four years ago, John was twice as
old as Mary. What are their present
Present Age 4 years ago
ages?
John 32 – x = 32 – 12 = 20 32 – x – 4 = 28 - x
Mary X = 12 X-4

28 – x = 2(x-4)
28 – x = 2x – 8
28 + 8 = 2x + x
36/3 = 3x/3
X = 12
• A man is 36 years old and his daughter
is 3. In how many years will the man be
4 times as old as his daughter?
36 36 + x
3 3+x
36 + x = 4(3 + x)
36 + x = 12 + 4x
36 - 12 = 4x - x
24/3 = 3x/3
x=8
• A father is three times as old as his son, and
his daughter is 3 years younger than his
son. If the sum of all three ages 3 years ago
was 63 years, find the present age of the
father.
 MIXTURE PROBLEMS
• How many liters of 20% alcohol
solution should be added to 40 liters of
a 50% alcohol solution to make a 30%
solution?
Solution A Solution B Mixture
40L X (40 + x) L
50% 20% 30%
50%(40) + 20% (x) = 30%(40 + x)
.5(40) + .2x = .3(40 + x)
20 + .2x = 12 + .3x
20 – 12 = 0.3x - 0.2x
8/0.1 = 0.1x/0.1
80 = x Therefore, 80 L of alcohol
solution must be added.
• John wants to make a 100 ml of 5% alcohol
solution mixing a quantity of a 2% alcohol
solution with a 7% alcohol solution. What
are the quantities of each of the two
solutions (2% and 7%) he has to use?
Solution A Solution B Mixture
100 - x x 100 mL
7% 2% 5%
7%(100 – x) + 2%(x) = 5%(100)
0.07(100 – x) + 0.02(x) = 0.05 (100)
7 – 0.07x + 0.02x = 5
-0.05x = 5 – 7
-0.05x/(-0.05) = -2/(-0.05)
X = 40 For 7%: 100 – x = 100 – 40 =
60 L
For 2%: x = 40 L
• 5 fl. oz. of a 2% alcohol solution was mixed
with 11 fl. oz. of a 66% alcohol solution.
Find the concentration of the new mixture.
Solution A Solution B Mixture
5 fl. Oz. 11 fl. Oz. (5 + 11) fl. Oz.
2% 66% X%
2%(5) + 66%(11) = x(5+11)
.02(5) + .66(11) = 5x + 11x
0.1 + 7.26 = 16x
7.36 = 16x
7.36/16 = 16x/16
.46 = x
46% = x
• Emily mixed together 9 gal. of Brand A fruit
drink and 8 gal. of Brand B fruit drink which
contains 48% fruit juice. Find the percent of fruit
juice in Brand A if the mixture contained 30%
fruit juice.
Brand A Brand B Fruit Juice
9 gal 8 gal (9 + 8) gal
X% 48% 30%
X(9) + 48%(8) = 30% (9 + 8)
9x + .48(8) = .3(17)
9x + 3.84 = 5.1
9x = 5.1 - 3.84
9x = 1.26
9x/9 = 1.26/9
X = .14 = 14%
• How many mg of a metal containing 45%
nickel must be combined with 6 mg of pure
nickel to form an alloy containing 78%
nickel?
Mixture A Mixture B Alloy
6 mg X 6+x
100% 45% 78%

100%(6) + 45% (x) = 78% (6 + x)

1(6) + .45x = .78 (6 + x)
6 + .45x = 4.68 + .78x
6 – 4.68 = .78x - .45x
1.32/.33 = .33x/.33
X=4
• 7 L of an acid solution was mixed with 3 L of
a 15% acid solution to make a 29% acid
solution. Find the percent concentration of
the first solution.
First Solution Second Solution Mixture
7L 3L 7 + 3 = 10 L
X% 15% 29%

X(7) + .15 (3) = .29(10)

7x + .45 = 2.9
7x = 2.9 - .45
7x/7 = 2.45/7
X = .35 = 35%
Consecutive Integer Problems
Consecutive Integers
x x+1 x+2 x+3 x+4
Consecutive Even Integers
x x+2 x+4 x+6 x+8
Consecutive Odd Integers
x x+2 x+4 x+6 x+8
• Find two consecutive integers whose sum is 45.
(x) + (x + 1) = 45 2x = 45 – 1 x = 22
2x + 1 = 45 2x/2 = 44/2 So, 22 and 23 are
the two consecutive integers
• Find three consecutive even integers whose sum is 126.
(x) + (x+2) + (x + 4) = 126 1st x = 40
3x + 6 = 126 2nd x + 2 = 40 + 2 = 42
3x = 126 – 6 3rd x + 4 = 40 + 4 = 44
3x/3 = 120/3
X = 40
• Find three consecutive odd integers whose sum is 369.
• Twice the larger of two consecutive integers is
equal to fifteen less than three times the
smaller. Find the integers.
Smaller = x; x = 17 Larger = x + 1; 17 + 1 = 18
2(x + 1) = 3(x) – 15
2x + 2 = 3x - 15
2 + 15 = 3x – 2x
17 = x
 The sum of four consecutive even integers
equals seven times the greatest of the integers.
Find the integers.
1st = x 2nd = x + 2 3rd = x + 4 4th = x + 6
x + x + 2 + x + 4 + x + 6 = 7(x + 6) 1st = -10
4x + 12 = 7x + 42 2nd = x + 2 = -10 + 2 = -8
4x - 7x = 42 - 12 3rd = x + 4 = -10 + 4 = -6
-3x = 30 4th = x + 6 = -10 + 6 = -4
-3x/-3 = 30/-3
X = -10
 Standard Deviation and Variance
Standard Deviation, is the square root Variance, is the square of standard
of variance deviation
5 52 = 25

7 49

64 642 = 4096

15 225

81 6561

9 81
 Range = highest – lowest score

15 26 38 12 19
What is the range?
R = 38 – 12 = 26
 Mean, Median, Mode
Measures of Central Tendency or Measures of
Average
Find the average of the following set of numbers:
1. 26, 25, 29, 23, 22 average = 25 Mean
2. 12, 25, 36, 39,15, 60 Median (average) = 12, 15, 25, 36, 39, 60

(25+36)/2 = 30.5
3. 12, 12, 12, 15, 18, 12, 15, 12, 12, 12 average = 12 Mode
 How big is 47 than 74?

4x4x4x4x4x4x4 = 16,384
7x7x7x7 = 2401
16,384 – 2,401 = 13,983
 Practice Exercise

• Find three consecutive odd integers whose sum is 369.

• A man is 36 years old and his daughter is 3. In how many years will the
man be 4 times as old as his daughter?
• A father is three times as old as his son, and his daughter is 3 years
younger than his son. If the sum of all three ages 3 years ago was 63
years, find the present age of the father.