Farmer Smith and his wife have fifteen children born at intervals of one year and a half.
Pocahontas, the oldest child, admits that she is eight times as old as Captain John,
the youngest of the brood.

How old is Pocahontas?
Show your work using algebra.   Let p = age of Pocahontas and j = age of Captain John.
Solution to the Problem:

Pocahontas is 24 years old.

p = 8 j
p = j + (14 x 1.5)         since there are 13 kids in between them.

So solve the two equations:
p = 8j
p = j + 21

Substituting for p in the second equation, 8j = j + 21, so 7j = 21 and j = 3.
Then p = 8(3) = 24.

Correctly solved by:

1. James Alarie Flint, Michigan
2. Kimberly Howe Vienna, Virginia
3. Britan Woody Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
4. Eliza Sheffield Tuscaloosa, Alabama
5. Chase Smith Mountain View High School,
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6. Mashayla Hurdsman Mountain View High School,
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7. Alyx Wells Mountain View High School,
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8. Rosemary Walker Mountain View High School,
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9. Dawson Case Mountain View High School,
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10. Hunter Gross Mountain View High School,
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11. Brijesh Dave Mumbai city, Maharashtra, India