16

PROBLEMS ON AGES

INTRODUCTION

Problems based on ages are generally asked is most
of the competitive examinations. To solve these problems,
the knowledge of linear equations is essential in such
problems, there may be three situations:
(i) Age some years ago
(ii) Present age
(iii) Age some years hence
Two of these situations are given and it is required to
find the third. The relation between the age of two persons
may also be given. Simple linear equations are framed and
their solutions are obtained. Sometimes, short cut methods
given below are also helpful in solving such problems.
.

SOME USEFUL METHODS

1. If the age of A, t years ago, was n times the age of B 1
= = [Here, = 7, = 4 and = 5]
and at present As age is times that of B, then

1 71 645
A s Present age = years = 45= = .
74 3

1
and, B s Present age = years
2. The present age of A is times the present age of B, If
years hence, the age of A would be times that of B,
then
Explanation 1
A s Present age = years
Let the present age of B x years.
1
and, Bs present age = years
Then, the present age of = years

( )= or, ( ) =( 1) Explanation

1 Let the present age of B x years.

or, = .

Then, the present age of =
1
Therefore, Bs present age = years Given, t years hence,

1 ( + )= ( + )
and, A s Present age = years.

or, ( ) =( 1)
Illustration 1 The age of father is 4 times the age of his son. 1
If 5 years ago fathers age was 7 times the age of his son at or, = .

that time, what is fathers present age?
1
Solution The fathers present age Therefore, Bs present age = years

 1 ( 1) + ( 1)
and, A s Present age = years. =

Illustration 2 The age of Mr. Gupta is four times the age of [Here, = 4, = 2, = 10 and = 10]
his son. After ten years, the age of Mr. Gupta will be only
twice the age of his son. Find the present age of Mr. Guptas 10(2 1) + 10(4 1) 10 + 30
= = = .
son. 42 2

Solution The present age of Mr. Guptas son

4. The sum of present ages of A and B is S years. If, t
1 years ago, the age of A was n times the age of B, then
=
( 1)
Present age of A years.
+1
21
= 10 + ( 1)
42
and, Present age of B years.
+1
[Here, = 4, = 2 and = 10]
Explanation
= .
Let the present ages of A and B be and years
3. The age of A, years ago, was times the age of B. respectively.
If years hence As age would be times that of B,
then, Given: + = (1)
( )( 1)
As present age = + years and, = ( )

( or, = (1 ) (2)
1) + ( 1)
and, As present age = years
Solving (1) and (2), we get
Explanation ( 1)
=
+1
Let As present age = years and Bs present age =
years. + ( 1)
and = .
+1
Given: = ( ) and + = ( + )
Illustration 4 The sum of the ages of A and B is 42 years. 3
i. e. , = (1 ) (1) years back, the age of A was 5 times the age of B. Find the
difference between the present ages of A and B.
and, = (1 + ) (2)
Solution Here, = 42, = 5 and = 3
Solving (1) and (2), we get
Present age of
( )( 1)
= +
( 1) 42 5 3(5 1)
= =
+1 5+1
( 1) + ( 1)
and , =
198
= = 33 years
6
Illustration 3 10 years ago Anus mother was 4 times older
than her daughter. After 10 years, the mother will be twice and, Present age of B
older than the daughter. Find the present age of Anu.
+ ( + 1) 42 + 3(5 1)
= =
Solution Present age of Anu +1 5+1
 54 ( 1)
= = . The age of son =
6 +1

Difference between the present ages of A and B 56 4(3 1)

=
= 33 9 = 24 years 3+1

Note: If, instead of sum (S), difference (D) of their ages is 48

= = .
given, replace S by D and in the denominator ( + 1) by 4
( 1)in the above formula.
6. If the ratio of the present ages of A and B is and
5. The sum of present ages of A and B is S years. If, t years hence, it will be , then
years hence, the age of A would be n times the age of
B, then ( )
present age =

+ ( 1) ( )
Present age of = years and present age = .
+1
( 1) Illustration 6 The ratio of the age of father and son at
and, Present age of = years.
+1 present is 6 : 1. After 5 years, the ratio will become 7 : 2.
Find the present age of the son.
Explanation
( )
Let the present ages of A and B be x and y years, The present age of the son =
respectively.

[Here, = 1, = 1, = 7, = 2 and = 3]
Given: + = (1)
1 5(7 2)
and, = ( ) = = .
6217
or, = (1 ) (2) Note : If, with the ratio of present ages, the ratio of ages t
years ago is given, then replace by ( ) in the above
Solving (1) and (2), we get
formula.
+ ( 1)
= Illustration 7 6 years ago Mahesh was twice as old as
+1
Suresh. If the ratio of their present ages is 9 : 5 respectively,
( 1) what is the difference between their present ages?
and = .
+1
The present age Mahesh
Illustration 5 The sum of the ages of a son and father is 56
years. After four years, the age of the father will be three ( )
=
times that of the son. Find their respective ages.

Solution The age of father 9 6(2 1)

=
1952
+ ( 1) 56 3 + 4(3 1)
= = [Here, = 9, = 5, = 2, = 1 and = 6]
+1 3+1

[Here, = 56, = 4 and = 3] = 54 years.

176
= = .
4
Present age Suresh

( )
=

5 6(2 1)
=
1952

= 30 years.

Difference of their ages = 54 30 = .

 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
In each of the following questions a number of possible answers are given, out of which one answer is
correct. Find out the correct answer

1. Ten years ago, Mohan was thrice as old as Ram was but hence is 3, then what is the total of present ages of A
10 years hence, he will be only twice as old. Find and B?
Mohans present age. (a) 68 years (b) 72 years
(a) 60 years (b) 80 years (c) 76 years (d) 64 years
(c) 70 years (d) 76 years
8. The ages of A and B are in the ratio of 6 : 5 and sum of
2. The ages of Ram and Shyam differ by 16 years. Six their ages is 44 years. The ratio of their ages after 8
years ago, Mohans age was thrice as that of Rams, find years will be
their present ages. (a) 4 : 5 (b) 3 : 4
(a) 14 years, 30 years (c) 3 : 7 (d) 8 : 7
(b) 12 years, 28 years
(c) 16 years, 34 years 9. One year ago the ratio between Samir and Ashoks age
(d) 18 years, 38 years was 4 : 3. One year hence the ratio of their ages will be
5 : 4. What is the sum of their present ages in years?
3. 15 years hence, Rohit will be just four times as old as he (a) 12 years (b) 15 years
was 15 years ago. How old is Rohit at present? (c) 16 years (d) Cannot be determined
(a) 20 (b) 25
(c) 30 (d) 35 10. Ratio of Ashoks age to Pradeeps age is 4 : 3. Ashok
will be 26 years old after 6 years. How old is Pradeep
4. A mans age is 125% of what it was 10 years ago, but now?
83 % of what it will be after then 10 years. What is his (a) 18 years (b) 21 years
(c) 15 years (d) 24 years
present age?
(a) 45 years (b) 50 years
11. Jayesh is as much younger to Anil as he is older to
(c) 55 years (d) 60 years
Prashant. If the sum of the ages of Anil and Prashant is
48 years, what is the age of Jayesh?
5. If twice the sons age in years be added to the fathers
(a) 20 years (b) 24 years
age, the sum is 70 and if twice the fathers age is added
(c) 30 years (d) Cannot be determined
to the sons age, the sum is 95. Fathers age is
(a) 40 years (b) 35 years
12. Five years ago Mr. Sohanial was thrice as old ad his son
(c) 42 years (d) 45 years
and ten years hence he will be twice as old as his son.
Mr. Sohanlals present age (in years) is
6. Three years ago, the average age of a family of 5
(a) 35 (b) 45
members was 17. A baby having been born the average
(c) 50 (d) 55
age of the family is the same today? What is the age of
the child?
13. Three times the present age of a father is equal to eight
(a) 3 years (b) 5 years
times the present age of his son. Eight years hence the
(c) 2 years (d) 1 year
father will be twice as old as his son at that time. What
are their present ages?
7. The ration of As and Bs ages is 4 : 5. If the difference
(a) 35, 15 (b) 32, 12
between the present age of A and the age of B 5 years
(c) 40, 15 (d) 27, 8
 16. The ages of A, B and C together total 185 years. B is
14. The sum of ages of a father and son is 45 years. Five twice as old as A and C is 17 years older than A. Then,
years ago, the product of their ages was four times the the respective ages of A, B and C are
fathers age at that time. The present age of the father is (a) 40, 86 and 59 years
(a) 39 years (b) 36 years (b) 42, 84 and 59 years
(c) 25 years (d) None of these (c) 40, 80 and 65 years
(d) None of these
15. One year age a father was four times as old as his son.
In 6 years time his age exceeds twice his sons age by 9 17. A fathers age is three times the sum of the ages of his
years. Ratio of their ages is two children, but 20 years hence his age will be equal to
(a) 13 : 4 (b) 12 : 5 the sum of their ages. Then the fathers age is
(c) 11 : 3 (d) 9 : 2 (a) 30 years (b) 40 years
(c) 35 years (d) 45 years
EXPLANATORY ANSWERS
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 QUESTIONS FROM COMPETITIVE EXAMS
1. As age is 1/6th of Bs age. Bs age will be twice of Cs interesting coincidence to my grandfather, he surprised
age after 10 years. If Cs eight birthday was celebrated me by saying that the same applied to him also. The
two years ago, then the present age of A must be year of birth of my grandfather is
(a) 5 years (b) 10 years (a) 1866 (b) 1886
(c) 15 years (d) 20 years (c) 1906 (d) 1916

2. Sachin was twice as old as Ajay 10 years back. How 8. The average age of three boys is 16 years. IF their ages
old is Ajay today if Sachin will be 40 years old 10 years are in the ratio 4 : 5, then the age of the youngest boy is
hence? (a) 8 years (b) 9 years
(a) 20 years (b) 10 years (c) 12 years (d) 16 years
(c) 30 years (d) None of these
9. I am eight times as old as you were when I was as old
3. A demographic survey of 100 families in which two as you are, said a man to his son. Find out their present
parents were present revealed that the average age A, of ages if the sum of their ages is 75 years.
the oldest child, is 20 years less than 1/2 the sum of the (a) 47 years and 28 years
ages of the two parents. If F represents the age of one (b) 42 years and 33 years
parent and M, the age of the other parent, then which of (c) 48 years and 27 years
the following equivalent to A? (d) None of the above
F + M 20 F+M
(a) (b) + 20
2 2 10. My brother was 3 years of age when my sister was
F+M born, while my mother was 26 years of age when I was
(c) 20 (d) F + M 10
2 born. If my sister was 4 years of age when my brother
was born, then what was the age of my father and
4. If 10 years are subtracted from the present age of Ram mother respectively when my brother was born?
and the remainder divided by 14, then you would get (a) 35 yrs, 33 yrs
the present age of his grandson Shyam. If Shyam is 9 (b) 35 yrs, 29 yrs
years younger to Sunder whose age is 14, then what is (c) 32 yrs, 23 yrs
the present age of Ram? (d) 32 yrs, 29 yrs
(a) 80 years (b) 70 years (e) None of these
(c) 60 years (d) None of these
11. Narmatas father is now four times her age. In five
5. Two groups of student, whose average ages are 20 years, he will be three times her age. In how many
years and 30 years, combine to form a third group years, will he be twice her age?
whose average age is 23 years. What is the ratio of the (a) 5 (b) 20
number of students in the first group to the number of (c) 25 (d) 15
students in the second group?
(a) 5 : 2 (b) 2 : 5 12. A father is twice as old as his son. 20 years back, he
(c) 7 : 3 (d) None of these was twelve times as old as the son. What are their
present ages?
6. A year ago, a father was four times his sons age. In six (a) 24, 12 (b) 44, 22
years, his age will be 9 more than twice his sons age. (c) 48, 24 (d) None of these
What is the present age of the son.
(a) 10 years (b) 9 years 13. The present ages of three persons are in the proportion
(c) 20 years (d) None of these of 4 : 7 : 9. Eight years ago, the sum of their ages was
56. Find their present ages.
7. In 1932, I was as old as the number formed by the last
two digits of my birth year. When I mentioned this
 (a) 20, 35, 45 15. Three years ago, Xs age was double of Ys. Seven
(b) 8, 20, 28 years hence, the sum of their united ages will be 83
(c) 16, 28, 36 years. The age of X today is
(d) None of these (a) 47 years (b) 35 years
(c) 45 years (d) 24 years
14. The average of a class is 15.8 years. The average age
of the boys in the class is 16.4 years and that of the girls 16. The average age of the mother and her 6 children is 12
is 15.4 years. What is the ratio of boys to girls in the years which is reduced by 5 years if the age of the
class? mother is excluded. How old is the mother?
(a) 1 : 2 (b) 3 : 4 (a) 42 years (b) 40 years
(c) 2 : 3 (d) None of these (c) 48 years (d) 50 years
EXPLANATORY ANSWERS
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 EXERCISES FOR SELF-PRACTICE
TEST I [Time : 10 min]

1. Today Mohan is 20 years younger than his father. Ten 6. The difference of present ages A and B is 12 years. If 6
years ago he was one-half as old as his father. How old years back their ages were in the ratio 3 : 2, how old are
will his father be 10 years hence? A and B?
(a) 40 years (b) 60 years (a) 42 years, 32 years
(c) 50 years (d) Data inadequate (b) 36 years, 26 years
(e) None of these (c) 48 years, 36 years
(d) 44 years, 32 years
2. The difference between the ages of two persons is 10
years. 15 years ago, the elder one was twice as old as 7. In 10 years, A will be twice as old as B was 10 years
the younger one. The present age of the elder person is ago. If A is now 9 years older than B, the present age of
(a) 25 years (b) 36 years B is
(c) 45 years (d) 55 years (a) 29 years (b) 39 years
(c) 19 years (d) 49 years
3. The ratio of Laxmis age to the age of her mother is 3 :
11. The difference of their ages is 24 years. The ratio of 8. Ages of A and B are in the ration 4 : 3. A will be 26
their ages after 3 years will be years old after 6 years. Bs present age is:
(a) 1 : 3 (b) 2 : 3 (a) 15 years (b) 20 years
(c) 3 : 5 (d) None of these (c) 12 years (d) 18 years

4. The age of a man is three times the sum of the ages of 9. A mother tells her daughter I was half your present
his three children. After three years his age will be age when you were born. If the mother is 18 years
twice the sum of their ages. Find the present age of the older than her daughter, what is the present age of the
man. mother?
(a) 40 years (b) 25 years (a) 54 (b) 63
(c) 35 years (d) 45 years (c) 36 (d) 72

5. If 6 years are subtracted from the present age of 10. Ten years ago A was half of B in age. IF the ratio of
Randheer and the remainder is divided by 18, then the their present ages is 3 : 4, what will be the total of their
present age of his grandson Anup is obtained. If Anup present ages?
is 2 years younger to Mahesh whose age is 5 years, then (a) 8 years (b) 20 years
what is the age of Randheer? (c) 35 years (d) 45 years
(a) 96 years (b) 84 years
(c) 48 years (d) 60 years
TEST II [Time : 10 min]

11. The sum of the ages of A and B is 60 years. After 10 16. Vinay was twice as old as Dev 10 years back. How old
years A will be twice as old as B. Find their present is Dev today if Vinay will be 40 years old 10 years
ages. hence?
(a) 40 years, 8 years (a) 20 years (b) 10 years
(b) 50 years, 10 years (c) 30 years (d) 15 years
(c) 60 years, 20 years
(d) 70 years, 30 years 17. Neena was married 6 years ago. Today, her age is 1
times of her age at the time of marriage. The age of her
12. If Rahul as 1/3rd as old as Vineet 5 years back and
son is times of her present age. What is the age of her
Rahul is 17 years old now, how old is Vineet now?
(a) 41 years (b) 36 years son?
(c) 9 years (d) 51 years (a) 3 years
(e) None of these (b) 2 years
(c) 4 years
13. After five years the age of a father will be twice the age (d) 5 years
of his son, whereas five years ago, he was seven times (e) None of these
as old as his son was. What is fathers present age?
(a) 35 years (b) 40 years 18. If 1 years age are added to age of Sohan. He will ne
(c) 45 years (d) 50 years half his age. What is his actual age?
(a) 20 years (b) 24 years
14. 20 years ago my age was 1/3 of what it is now. What is (c) 25 years (d) 9 years
my present age?
(a) 30 years (b) 35 years 19. Rakesh is as much younger to Ajay as he is older to
(c) 40 years (d) 45 years Anil. If the sum of the ages of Ajay and Anil is 48
years, what is the age of Rakesh?
15. The ration of fathers age to sons age is 3 : 1. The (a) 36 years (b) 24 years
product of their ages is 243. The ratio of their ages 3 (c) 30 years (d) 28 years
years hence will be
(a) 3 : 1 (b) 5 : 1
(c) 7 : 3 (d) 5 : 2
SOLUTIONS for PROBLEMS

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