The sum of the present ages of Mark and his mother is 60 years. In 6 years she will be twice as old as he will be. Find their present ages.

Mark is 18; his mother is 42.

Step-by-step explanation:

In 6 years, 12 years will be added to the total of their ages, so it will be 72. Since this is the total of Mark's age and twice Mark's age, his age at that time will be 72/3 = 24. His mother will be 48 at that time.

Now, they are 6 years younger than that, so they are 18 and 42.