Ages 2 years ago:
Merly: x - 2
Perla: 7(x-2) or 7x-14
Present ages:
Merly: x
Perla: 7x - 14 + 2 or 7x-12
Ages 2 years from present:
Merly: x + 2
Perla: 7x -12 + 2 or 7x-10
Equation:
7x - 10 = 6 + 4(x+2)
7x - 10 = 6 + 4x+8
7x - 10 = 4x + 14
7x - 4x = 14 + 10
3x = 24
3x/3 = 24/3
x = 8
Present Ages:
Merly: x = 8 years old
Perla: 7x-12
= 7(8) - 12
= 56 - 12
= 44 years old
ANSWER: At present, Merly is 8 years old and Perla is 44 years old.
Check: x = 8
Two years ago, Perla was 7 times as old as Merly.
Merly: x - 2
= 8 - 2
= 6 years old
Perla: 7x - 14
= 7(8) - 14
= 56 - 14
= 42 years old
42 = 7(6) ⇒ Perla (42) is 7 times as old as Merly (6)
42 = 42 √
Ages 2 years from now:
Perla will be 6 years more that Merly.
Merly: x + 2
= 8 + 2
= 10 years old
Perla: 7x - 10
= 7(8) - 10
= 56 - 10
= 46 years old
46 = 6 + 4(10) ⇒ Perla (46) will be 6 years more than 4 times
as old as Merly (10)
46 = 6 + 40
46 = 46 √