A is 12 years older than B. Six years ago A was 4 times as old as B. How old is A now?
a = b + 12
b + 12 − 6 = 4(b − 6)
b + 6 = 4b − 24 → b = 10
a = 22
Answer: 22 years
Problems on Ages · Exercise 3 of 6
40 hard problems on ages for mains-level practice: products of ages, multi-step ratio changes, "when I was as old as you" puzzles, twin and family problems and reversed-digit ages.
A is 12 years older than B. Six years ago A was 4 times as old as B. How old is A now?
a = b + 12
b + 12 − 6 = 4(b − 6)
b + 6 = 4b − 24 → b = 10
a = 22
Answer: 22 years
A father is twice as old as his elder son. Ten years from now the father will be 3 times as old as the younger son. The sons differ in age by 15 years. How old is the father?
f = 2e; younger = e − 15
2e + 10 = 3(e − 15 + 10) = 3e − 15
e = 25
f = 50
Answer: 50 years
A father is 4 times as old as his son. Five years ago the product of their ages was 234. How old is the father now?
(4s − 5)(s − 5) = 234
Try s = 11: 39 × 6 = 234 ✔
Father = 44
Answer: 44 years
Two brothers are 32 years old in all. The elder's age 6 years ago equals the younger's age 2 years from now. How old is the elder?
e − 6 = y + 2 → e − y = 8
e + y = 32
e = (32 + 8) ÷ 2 = 20
Answer: 20 years
A is 3 years younger than B, and B is 9 years older than C. Together they are 66 years old. How old is A?
Let B = b; A = b − 3; C = b − 9
3b − 12 = 66 → b = 26
A = 23
Answer: 23 years
A father's age is his son's age with the digits reversed. Their ages add up to 99 and differ by 27. How old is the father?
Father = 10a + b, son = 10b + a
Sum: 11(a + b) = 99 → a + b = 9
Difference: 9(a − b) = 27 → a − b = 3
a = 6, b = 3 → father 63, son 36
Answer: 63 years
A is 5 years older than B, and C is twice as old as A. Their ages add up to 87. How old is B?
B = b; A = b + 5; C = 2b + 10
4b + 15 = 87 → b = 18
Answer: 18 years
The present ages of a mother and daughter are in the ratio 7 : 1. Four years ago the ratio was 19 : 1. How old is the mother now?
Let mother = 7k, daughter = k
(7k − 4)/(k − 4) = 19
7k − 4 = 19k − 76 → 12k = 72 → k = 6
Mother = 42
Answer: 42 years
A and B are 40 and 60 years old. How many years ago was the ratio of their ages 3 : 5?
(40 − x)/(60 − x) = 3/5
200 − 5x = 180 − 3x → 2x = 20
x = 10
Answer: 10 years
Five years from now the ages of A and B will be in the ratio 3 : 4. Five years ago the ratio was 5 : 7. How old is A now?
4(a + 5) = 3(b + 5) → 4a = 3b − 5
7(a − 5) = 5(b − 5) → 7a = 5b + 10
From the first, a = (3b − 5)/4 → 7(3b − 5) = 20b + 40 → b = 75
a = 55
Answer: 55 years
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