The ages of the three children in the Suvari family are prime numbers. The oldest is 10 years older than the youngest. Altogether, their ages toatl 35 years. How old are the three Suvari children?
Could you please when you give the answer to show me how you got the answer.
2007-11-26 10:30:29 · 4 answers · asked by Successor 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
This will require a little trial and error.
p1 + p2 + p3 = 35
p3 = p1 + 10
2p1 + p2 + 10 = 35
2p1 + p2 = 25
Okay, so what pair of prime numbers fit this pattern?
p1 = 2 doesn't work because p3 would be 12.
p1 = 3 could work, but then p3 is younger than p2.
p1 = 5 doesn't work (again p3 = 15, non-prime)
p1 = 7, p2 = 11, p3 = 17
That's it!
If you want to use some educated guessing, you would perhaps guess that the middle child is close to the average of their ages. 35/3 = 11.6667. The nearest primes are either 11 or 13.
That would leave either 24 or 22 for the remaining two children:
Difference of ages:
p3 - p1 = 10
Sum of ages:
p3 + p1 = 22 or 24
2p3 = 32 or 34
p3 = 16 or 17
Ah! p1 = 7, p2 = 11, p3 = 17
Either way we get to the same answer.
2007-11-26 10:40:48 · answer #1 · answered by Puzzling 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you just have to use trial and error method
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17
so the youngest is 7
the middle one is 11
and the oldest one is 17
check:
17 is 10 more than 7
7 + 11 + 17 = 35
Rec
2007-11-26 10:36:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
17, 7 and 11
i guessed the 17, then subtracted 10 to get 7, and you get 24 from 17+7, and 35-24=11, for the last kid
2007-11-26 10:34:54 · answer #3 · answered by linkinparkfreak47 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
17
7
11
my screwed up brain
2007-11-26 10:36:16 · answer #4 · answered by cowsflyhome2nite 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋