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CHAPTER 5. PROBLEMS ON AGES

1. The ratio of the ages of Mona and Sona is 4 : 5. Twelve years after, their ages will be in
the ratio of 5 : 6. What will be Sona’s age after 6 years?
Let their present ages be 4x and 5x. Then, (4x + 12) / (5x + 12) = 5 / 6
On cross multiplication we get 24x + 72 = 25x + 60 implies x = 12
Therefore, Sona’s age = 5x = 5 x 12 = 60
Sona’s age after 6 years = 60 + 6 = 66
2. The ratio of the ages of Meena and Meera is 4 : 3. The sum of their ages is 28 years. The
ratio of their ages after 8 years will be:
(a) 4 : 3 (b) 12 : 11 (c) 7 : 4 (d) 6 : 5
Let Meena’s age = 4x and Meera’s = 3x
Then, 4x + 3x = 28……….x = 4
Therefore, Meena’s age = 16 years and Meera’s age = 12 years
Ratio of their ages after 8 years = (16 + 8) : (12 + 8) = 24 : 20 = 6 : 5
3. The ages of Ram and Mukta are in the ratio of 3 : 5. After 9 years, the ratio of their ages
will become 3 : 4. The present age of Mukta (in years) is:
(a) 9 (b) 15 (c) 18 (d) 24
Let Ram’s age = 3x and Mukta’s age = 5x
Implies (3x + 9) / (5x + 9) = (3 / 4)
On cross multiplication we get 12x + 36 = 15 x + 27 it becomes 3x = 9 or x = 3
Mukta’s age = 5 x 3 = 15 years
4. The ratio of the ages of Swati and Varun is 2 : 5. After 8 years, their ages will be in the
ratio of 1 : 2. The difference in their present ages (in years) is:
(a) 24 (b) 26 (c) 29 (d) 32
Let Swathi’s and Varun ages are 2x and 5x. Hence (2x + 8) / (5x + 8) = (1 / 2)
On cross multiplication we get x = 8
Swati’s age = 2x = 2 x 8 = 16 years
Varun’s agse = 5x = 5 x 8 = 40 years
Difference of their ages = 40 – 16 = 24 years
5. A father is twice as old as his son. 20 years ago, the age of the father was 12 times the
age of the son. The present age of the father (in years) is
(a) 46 (b) 44 (c) 42 (d) 40
Let son’s age = x, father’s age = 2x.
20 years ago, son was (x – 20) years and father was (2x – 20) years
Hence 12 (x – 20) = (2x – 20)………x = 22
Father’s present age = 22 x 2 = 44 years
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6. Five years ago, the total of the ages of a father and his son was 40 years. The ratio of
their present ages is 4 : 1. What is the present age of the father?
(a) 40 years (b) 44 years (c) 48 years (d) 50 years
Let son’s age = x and father’s age = 4x
5 years ago Son’s age = (x – 5) and father’s age = (4x – 5)
Hence (x – 5) + (4x – 5) = 40………. x = 10
Present age of father = 4 x 10 = 40 years
7. Ramu was 4 times as old as his son 8 years ago. After 8 years, Ramu will be twice as old
as his son. What are their present ages?
Let son’s age 8 years ago be x years. Then, Ramu’s age at that time = 4x
Son’s age after 8 years = (x + 8) + 8 = (x + 16) years
Ramu’s age after 8 years = (4x + 8) + 8 = (4 x + 16) years
Therefore, 2 (x + 16) = 4x + 16 implies x = 8 years
Son’s present age = (x + 8) = 8 + 8 = 16 and
Ramu’s present age = (4x + 8) = 4 (8) + 8 = 40 years
8. A man is four times as old as his son. Five years ago, the man was nine times as old as his
son was at that time. What is the present age of the man?
Let son’s age = x and man’s age = 4x
5 years ago, Son’s age was (x – 5) and man’s age was (4x – 5)
Therefore, 9 (x – 5) = (4x – 5)…..x = 8
Man’s present age = 4x = 4 x 8 = 32 years
9. The sum of the ages of Aruna and her mother is 49 years. Also, 7 years ago, the mother’s
age was 4 times Aruna’s age. Find the present age of Aruna’s mother?
Let Aruna’s age 7 years ago be x years and Mother’s age 7 years ago = 4x
Today Aruna = (x + 7) and Mother = (4x + 7)
Now (x + 7) + (4x + 7) = 49 or x = 7
Therefore Mother’s present age = 4x + 7 = 35 years
10. The ages of A and B differ by 16 years. If 6 years ago, the elder one was 3 times as old as
the younger one, find their present ages?
Let A’s age = x and B’s age = (x + 16).
6 years ago, A was (x – 6) and B was (x + 16 - 6) respectively.
Therefore (x + 16 – 6) = 3 (x – 6)………..x = 14
A’s age = 14 and B’s age = 14 + 16 = 30 years
11. Sachin was twice as old as Ajay 10 years back. How old is Ajay today if Sachin will be 40
years old 10 years after?
(a) 10 years (b) 15 years (c) 20 years (d) 25 years
Sachin’s age today = 30 years
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Sachin’s age 10 years back = 20 years
Ajay’s age 10 years back = 10 years
Ajay’s age today = 20 years
12. Ten years ago, A was half of B in age. If the ratio of their present ages is 3 : 4. What will
be the total of their present ages?
(a) 20 years (b) 25 years (c) 30 years (d) 35 years
Let A’s age 10 years ago = x and B’s age 10 years ago = 2x
Implies (x + 10) / (2x + 10) = 3 / 4
4 ( x + 10) = 3 (2x + 10)………… x = 5 years
Total of their present ages = (x + 10 + 2x + 10) = (3x + 20) = 35 years
13. If 6 years are subtracted from the present age of Gulzar and the remainder is divided by
18, then the present age of his grandson Anup is obtained. If Anup is 2 years younger to
Mahesh whose age is 5 years, then what is the present age of Gulzar?
(a) 60 years (b) 70 years (c) 75 years (d) 80 years
Anup’s age = 5 – 2 = 3 years. Let Gulzar’s age x years. Then (x – 6 / 18) = 3
Implies (x – 6) = 54 or x = 60 years
14. The total of the ages of A, B and C at present is 90 years. Ten years ago, the ratio of their
ages was 1 : 2 : 3. What is the age of B at present?
(a) 40 years (b) 30 years (c) 20 years (d) 18 years
Let their ages 10 years ago be x, 2x and 3x years.
When their present ages are added (x + 10 + 2x + 10 + 3x + 10) = 90 & we get x = 10
B’s present age = (2x + 10) = 30 years
15. Jayesh is as much younger to Anil as he is older to Prashant. If the sum of the ages of
Anil and Prashant is 48 years. What is the age of Jayesh?
(a) 20 years (b) 24 years (c) 25 years (d) 30 years
A – J = J – P or A + P = 2J implies 2J = 48 years ……..J = 24 years
16.Kamala got married 6 years ago. Today her age is 1¼ times her age at the time of
marriage. Her son’s age is (1/10) times her age. Her son’s age is:
(a) 2 years (b) 3 years (c) 4 years (d) 5 years
Let Kamala’s age 6 years ago = x years and her present age = x + 6
Hence (x + 6) = (5 / 4) x (or) (5/4) x – x = 6 (or) x / 4 = 6 (or) x = 24
Therefore Kamala’s present age = 24 + 6 = 30
Her son’s present age = (1 / 10) (30) = 3 years
17.Ten years ago, Kalpana’s mother was four times older than her daughter. After 10 years,
the mother will be twice older than daughter. The present age of Kalpana is:
(a) 5 years (b) 10 years (c) 15 years (d) 20 years

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Let Kalpana’s age 10 years ago was x years and her mother’s age 10 years ago was 4x.
Today Kalpana = (x + 10), mother = (4x + 10)
After 10 years (4x + 10) + 10 = 2 (x + 10 + 10) or x = 10
Present age of Kalpana = x + 10 = 20 years
18. In 10 years, A will be twice as old as B was 10 years ago. If A is now 9 years older than B,
the present age of B is:
(a) 19 years (b) 29 years (c) 39 years (d) 49 years
Let B’s age = x years. Then A’s age = (x + 9) years. This implies (x + 9 + 10) = 2(x – 10)
Therefore x = 39. Therefore present age of B = 39 years
19. The age of father 10 years ago was thrice the age of his son. Ten years after, the father’s
age will be twice that of his son. The ratio of their present ages is:
(a) 5 : 2 (b) 9 : 2 (c) 7 : 3 (d) 7 : 4
Let son’s age 10 years ago = x years and father’s age 10 years ago = 3x.
Today son = (x + 10), father = (3x + 10)
After 10 years, son = (x + 20) and father = (3x + 20)
Hence 2 (x + 20) = (3x + 20) ……..x = 20
Ratio of their present ages = (3x + 10) : (x + 10) = 70 : 30 = 7 : 3
20. The difference between the ages of two persons is 10 years. 15 years ago, the elder one
was twice as old as the younger one. The present age of the elder person is:
(a) 55 years (b) 45 years (c) 35 years (d) 25 years
Let their ages be x and (x + 10) years.
15 years ago, (x + 10 – 15) = 2 (x – 15) ……..x = 25
Present age of the elder person = x + 10 = 25 + 10 = 35 years
21. Pushpa is twice as old as Rita was 2 years ago. If the difference of their ages be 2 years,
how old is Pushpa today?
(a) 6 years (b) 8 years (c) 10 years (d) 12 years
Let Rita’s age 2 years ago = x years and today her age = (x + 2)
Pushpa age now = 2x
The difference of their ages today = 2 (given)
2x – (x + 2) = 2 implies x = 4. Therefore Pushpa’s age now = 2x = 2 x 4 = 8 years
22. The ratio of the father’s age to his son’s age is 7 : 3. The product of their ages is 756. The
ratio of their ages after 6 years will be:
(a) 5 : 2 (b) 2 : 1 (c) 5 : 3 (d) 2 : 3
Let their ages be 7x and 3x years. Then (7x)(3x) = 756 or
(x)(x) = 756 / 21 = 36 or x = 6
Their present ages are 42 years and 18 years.
Ratio after 6 years = 48 : 24 = 2 : 1
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23.The ratio of Meena’s age to the age of her mother is 3 : 8. The difference of their ages is
35 years. The ratio of their ages after 4 years will be:
(a) 7 : 12 (b) 5 : 12 (c) 4 : 7 (d) 7 : 4
Let their ages be 3x and 8x. Then 8x – 3x = 35 or x = 7
So their present ages are 21 years and 56 years.
Ratio after 4 years = (21 + 4) : (56 + 4) = 25 : 60 = 5 : 12
24. Ratio of Ashok’s age to Sandeep’s age is 4 : 3. Ashok will be 26 years old after 6 years.
How old is Sandeep now?
(a) 10 years (b) 15 years (c) 20 years (d) 25 years
Let Ashok and Sandeep ages be 4x and 3x years. Now 4x + 6 = 26 or x = 5
Age of Sandeep = 3x = 3 x 5 = 15 years
25. The ratio of Vimal’s age and Aruna’s age is 3 : 5 and the sum of their ages is 80 years.
Find the ratio of their ages after 10 years?
(a) 2 : 3 (b) 1 : 2 (c) 3 : 2 (d) 3 : 5
Let their ages be 3x and 5x years. Then 3x + 5x = 80 or 8x = 80 or x = 10.
Ratio of their ages after 10 years = (3x + 10) : (5x + 10) = 40 : 60 = 2 : 3

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