How to solve this maths questions

52= X+ (X+24)


basically the problem is: A son and father are 52 years old together. The son is 24 years younger than the father. How old are they?

The equation is basically how I tried to find it out, I need the process please, I already know the answer! I just want to find out how to solve it. Thansk!

Collect terms
.. 52 = 2X + 24
Subtract 24
.. 28 = 2X
Divide by 2
.. 14 = X
The son is 14 years old; the father is 38 years old.

Call S son's age, so father's age is clearly S+24. From the problem statement you may write

S + S + 24 = 52 ( adding father and son ages )
It's the same expression you write, now adding S together and subtracting 24 from both sides you obtain
2 * S = 28 divide by 2 to obtain
S = 14 son's age
Father is 14 + 24 = 38 years old

Bye

Some people have problems translating word problems into equations, and/or vice versa. I will do it step by step.

First, let's define a couple things:
x = dad's age
y = son's age
So...
x + y = combined age
Combined age = 52 years
52 = x + y
son's age = dad's age - 24
y = x - 24
So...subsitute (x - 24) in for y in the previous equation....
52 = x + (x -24)
The parenthesis are pointless if all we are doing is addition/subtraction, so let's get rid of those...
52 = x + x - 24
Add like terms to simplify...x + x = 2x.....so we have...
52 = 2x -24
Simplify/solve...add 24 to both sides of the equation and we get...
76 = 2x
Solve for x (which is the dad's age) by dividing both sides by 2, and we get...
x = 38
So, dad's age is 38 years
We know son's age is 24 years less than dad, so...
Son's age is 14.
Double check...does it add up?
38 + 14 = 52
So, we know it is correct!

Father's Age = f