16Hit1600
AlgebraEasy–MediumTwo people's ages from a sum and a gap

Algebra practice question

Ana is 2 years older than Ben, and their ages add up to 26. How old is Ana?

Answer: 14

Let Ben be b: b + (b + 2) = 26, so b = 12 and Ana is 14.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 12
12 is Ben's age.
If you answered 13
13 halves the sum, ignoring the gap.
If you answered 24
24 is 26 − 2, forgetting to halve.

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