High School

Nikki is 5 years older than Jamie. The product of their ages is 126. Which equation could be used to find Nikki's age, [tex]n[/tex]?

A. [tex]n^2 + 5 = 126[/tex]

B. [tex]n^2 - 5 = 126[/tex]

C. [tex]n^2 + 5n = 126[/tex]

D. [tex]n^2 - 5n = 126[/tex]

Answer :

To solve the problem of finding Nikki's age, let's break it down step by step:

1. Define Variables:
- Let [tex]\( n \)[/tex] represent Nikki's age.
- Since Nikki is 5 years older than Jamie, Jamie's age would be [tex]\( n - 5 \)[/tex].

2. Set Up the Equation:
- We know that the product of their ages is 126. So, we can write the equation based on this information:
[tex]\[
n \times (n - 5) = 126
\][/tex]

3. Simplify the Equation:
- Distribute [tex]\( n \)[/tex] to both terms inside the parenthesis:
[tex]\[
n^2 - 5n = 126
\][/tex]

4. Identify the Correct Equation:
- By comparing the simplified equation [tex]\( n^2 - 5n = 126 \)[/tex] with the options provided, we see that it matches Option D.

Thus, the equation that can be used to find Nikki's age is:
[tex]\[
\boxed{D \quad n^2 - 5n = 126}
\][/tex]