Answer:
Sally is currently 4 years old.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kaden is 18 years older than Sally now. In 5 years, Kaden will be 3 times as old as Sally. How old is Sally now?
Let Kaden's current age be [tex]k[/tex] and Sally's current age be [tex]s[/tex]. We can write the following algebraic equation using the fact that Kaden is currently 18 years older than Sally:
[tex]k=s+18[/tex]
Next, we will use the fact that in 5 years, Kaden will be 3 times as old as Sally. If Kaden and Sally's current ages are [tex]k[/tex] and [tex]s[/tex] respectively, then their ages in 5 years will be [tex]k+5[/tex] and [tex]s+5[/tex] respectively. Therefore, we have:
[tex]k+5=3(s+5)[/tex]
We have two equations with two variables. To solve for either variable, we need to create an equation with only one variable. Therefore, let's substitute the first equation into the second:
[tex](s+18)+5=3(s+5)[/tex]
Distribute and combine like terms:
[tex]s+18+5=3s+15,\\s+23=3s+15[/tex]
Subtract [tex]s[/tex] from both sides, then subtract 15 from both sides:
[tex]8=2s[/tex]
Divide both sides by 2:
[tex]s=\frac{8}{2}=\boxed{4}[/tex]
Therefore, Sally is currently 4 years old.
