Algebrainiacs

Have I got a problem from you.

A father is now 24 years older than his son.  In 8 years, the father will be twice as old as his son will be then.  Find their present ages.

We could just ask them, but they're made up.  No trouble finding the answers, however:  the fictive kid is 16 and the fictive father is 40.  So what's the problem?  Showing work.  We have to lay down the operations every step of the way.  Ph. and I have tried it a couple of ways, but the equations both wind up coming out to 40.  And it's about process, not outcome, you see. 

Whatever comes of it, I will take algebra over the -ar verb conjugations in odd contexts from last night's Spanish homework and the chemistry of life test prep from Monday night (heavy on vocab...ionic and covalent bonds, solute, solvent, suspension, adhesion, cohesion, polar molecules).