To solve this problem, let's assign variables to the ages of Karen and Lori.
Let's say the current age of Lori is L years. This means that the current age of Karen is 2L years.
Three years from now, Lori's age will be L + 3, and Karen's age will be 2L + 3.
According to the given information, the sum of their ages three years from now will be 42. So we can write the equation:
(L + 3) + (2L + 3) = 42
Simplifying the equation, we get:
3L + 6 = 42
Subtracting 6 from both sides, we have:
3L = 36
Dividing both sides by 3, we find:
L = 12
So, Lori's current age is 12 years. Since Karen is twice as old as Lori, Karen's current age is:
2L = 2 * 12 = 24
Therefore, Karen is 24 years old.
The correct answer is option C) 24.