Age Problems

Age problems are a very popular type of algebra word problem. In age problems, you are given information
so you can find the ages of the people in the problem.

For this topic, you will need to know how to create equations with variables and solve for variables.

Example 1:Solve the following age problems.

Mike is 18 years old. The sum of the ages of Mike and Peter is 39.
How old is Peter?

Mike = 18 Mike is 18 years old.

Mike + Peter = 39 The sum of the ages of Mike and Peter is 39.
18 + Peter = 39 Substitute
Peter = 39 - 18
Peter = 21
21
Peter is 21 years old. The answer is .

Example 2:Solve the following age problems.

8 years from now Mary will be 19 years old. The current sum of the ages of Mary and Jose is 41.
How old is Jose right now?

Mary + 8 = 19 After 8 years, Mary will be 19 years old.

Mary = 19 - 8
Mary = 11 Right now, Mary is 11 years old.
Mary + Jose = 41 The current sum of the ages of Mary and Jose is 41.
11 + Jose = 41 Substitute
Jose = 41 - 11
Jose = 30
30
Jose is 30 years old right now. The answer is .

Example 3:Solve the following age problems.

5 years from now Kate will be 48 years old. In 10 years, the sum of the ages of Kate and Sharon will be 90.
How old is Sharon right now?

Kate + 5 = 48 After 5 years, Kate will be 48 years old.

Kate = 48 - 5
Kate = 43 Right now, Kate is 43 years old.
(Kate + 10) + (Sharon + 10) = 90 In 10 years, the sum of the ages of Kate and Sharon will be 90.
(43 + 10) + (Sharon + 10) = 90 Substitute
Sharon + 63 = 90
Sharon = 90 - 63
Sharon = 27

27
Sharon is 27 right now. The answer is .

Example 4:Solve the following age problems.

13 years from now David will be twice as old as Pearl. The current sum of the ages of David and Pearl is
19.. How old is Pearl right now?

David + Pearl = 19 The current sum of the ages of David and Pearl is 19.
David = 19 - Pearl David's age in terms of Pearl's age.
David + 13 = 2 × (Pearl + 13) 13 years from now, David will be twice as old as Pearl.
(19 - Pearl) + 13 = 2 × (Pearl + 13) Substitute
32 - Pearl = 2(Pearl) + 26
32 = 3(Pearl) + 26
6 = 3(Pearl)
2 = Pearl

2
Pearl is 2 years old right now. The answer is .

5) The present age of Jacob’s father is three times that of Jacob. After 5 years, sum of their ages would be
70 years. Find their present ages.

Solution :
Let Jacob’s age = x years

His fathers’s age = 3x years

After 5 years

Jacob’s age = x + 5

Father’s age = 3x + 5

Sum of their age = 70

X + 5 + 3x + 5 = 70

4x + 10 = 70

4x = 60

X = 15

Jacob’s age = 15 years and his father’s age = 3(15) = 45 years

6) After 15 years, Ariel’s age will become four times that of her present age. Find her age.

Solution :
Let Ariel’s present age = x years

After 15 years, her age = x + 15

X + 15 = 4x

X – 4x = -15
-3x = -15

X=5

Ariel’s present age = 5 years.

7) John’s mother’s age is 5 years more than the three times of John’s present age. Find John’s present
age, if his mother is 44 years old.

Solution :
Let John’s age = x year

Then 3 x + 5 = 44

Or 3 x = 44 – 5 = 39

Or x = 13 years

John’s present age = 13 years.

8) The present ages of Deklerk and Saniya are in the ratio 3:4. Five years from now, the ratio of their ages
will be 4:5. Find their present ages.

Solution :
Let the present age of Deklerk and Saniya be 3x and 4x years respectively.

After 5 years,

Deklerk's age = 3x + 5

Saniya's age = 4x + 5

According to the question

(3x + 5) / (4x + 5) = 4 /5

⇒ 5 (3x + 5) = 4 (4x + 5) [ Cross multiplication]

⇒ 15x + 25 = 16x + 20

⇒ 15x - 16x = 20 -25

⇒ -x = -5

⇒x=5

∴ Deklerk's present age = 3x = 3(5) = 15 years

and Saniya's age = 4x = 4(5) = 20 years.