AGE PROBLEMS

AGE PROBLEMS
- are algebra word problems that deal
with the ages of people currently, in
the past or in the future.
 LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
Upon the completion of this lesson, you
will be able to:
 SOLVE AGE WORD PROBLEMS
INVOLVING SINGLE PERSON,
TWO/MORE PERSONS.
 ACTIVITY NO.1
A story of two friends-Steve & Ralph. Both were
roommates at ITP-Abuyog. They loved mathematics
and constantly asked puzzles from each other. After
years of separation, they met at a college reunion. At
reunion, Steve asked Ralph, "Hey Ralph, how is work at
Google?"
Ralph replied' "It's good Steve, How is Apple doing?"
"It is good as well Ralph, how old is your kid now?"
Steve asked.
Ralph replied, The difference of our age is 30 years. The
sum of our ages is 118. Steve heard the answer and
they both smiled. Do you know the age of Ralph's Son?
 DISCUSSION:
When you encounter an age problem, you will often see that
the problem gives you information about the age of a person
in the future or in the past.
Example:
If a mother is three times as old as her daughter, their present
ages can be represented as:
Let x=the daughter's age and
3x= the mother's age
Now if the problem gives you information about their ages,
say 6 years from now, you can represent their future ages as;
Let x+6 = the daughter's future age, and
3x+6 = the mother's future age
 Steps to Solve Age
Problems
1. Express what we don't know as a variable.
2. Create an equation on the information
provided.
3. Solve for the unknown variable.
4. Substitute our answer back into the
equation to see if the left side of the equation
is equals the right side of the equation.
 How to solve Age
Word Problems?
If the problem involves a single person,
then it is similar to an Integer Problem.
Read the problem carefully to determine
the relationship between the numbers. If
the age problem involves the ages of two or
more people then using a table would be a
good idea. A table will help you to organize
the information and to write the equations.
 How to solve Age Problems
Involving a Single Person?
Example: Five years ago, Loui's age was half of the age he will be in 8 years. How
old is he now?
Solution:
x-5 x+8
Five year's ago, Loui's age was half of the age he will be in 8 years.
Step 1: Let x be Loui's age now. Look at the question and put the relevant
expressions above it.
Step 2: Write out the equation. x - 5 = 1/2 (x+8)
x-5= x+4
x - x = 4+ 5
×=9 Isolate variable x
x = 18
Answer: Loui is now 18 years old.
 How to solve Age Problems
Involving More than One
Person?
Example: Greg is twice as old as his friend Cesar. Cesar is 5
years older than Joyce. In 5 years, Greg will be three times
as old as Joyce. How old is Cesar now?
Solution:
Step 1: Set up a table
age now age in 5 years
Greg

Cesar

Joyce
Step 2: Fill in the table with information given in the
question.
Greg is twice as old as his friend Cesar. Cesar is 5
years older than Joyce. In 5 years, Greg will be three
times as old as Joyce. How old is Cesar now?
Let x be Cesar's age now. Add 5 to get the ages in 5
years.

age now age in 5 years

Greg 2x 2x + 5

Cesar x x+5

Joyce x-5 x-5+5

Write the new relationship in an equation
using the ages in 5 years.
In 5 years, Greg will be three times old as
Joyce.
2x + 5 = 3 (x-5+5)
2x + 5 = 3x
5 = 3x - 2x Isolate variable x
x=5
Answer: Cesar is now 5 years old.
Note: In dealing with age problem, it is
important to keep in mind that the ages
of the people change at the same rate. It
is easier if one makes a table showing
the representation for current ages in the
problem, "future" ages (a number of
years from now), and "past" ages (a
number of years ago).
 ACTIVITY NO. 2
Directions: Solve the following age
problems. Show your solution.
1.Vic is 5 years older than Joey. If in 3 years.
Vic's age will be twice Joey's, how old are Vic
and Joey now?
2. Clarissa is 8 years older than Grace. The
sum of their ages is 48. How old are they?
 APPLICATION
Directions: Solve age word problems involving single person, two/more persons.
Show your work in your notebook.
1.One-sixth of a dentist age 8 years ago equals one-tenth of his
age 8 years hence What is his age now?
2.Abby is 4 times as old as her son. In 16 years she will be only
twice as old. What are their present ages?
3. Dennis is ten years younger than Tom. In six years. Tom will
be twice as old as Dennis. What are their present ages?
4. The sum of a mother and daughter's ages is 45 years. Five
years ago, the mother was six times as old as his daughter. Find
their present ages.
5. A godfather is now 28 years older than his godson. In 4
years, the godfather will be 3 times as old as the godson. How
old is the godfather now?
 ASSESSMENT
Test Yourself!
Directions: Solve age word problems involving single person, two/more persons.
You may use the activity notebook for your answers.
1. The product of the ages of Richard and Angel is 243. Angel is 3 times as old as
Richard. How old is Angel?
2. The ratio of Gary's age to Bailey's age is 6:5. In 7 years the ratio will be 7.6. What
are their ages now?
3. The ages of Vhong and Billy are in the ratio 3:7. If you multiply Vhong's age by 4.
you get the same result as when you add 40 to Billy's age. How old are Vhong and
Billy? times
4. Jeremy is 7 years younger than Karen. Jeremy's age subtracted from three
Karen's age is 43. Find their ages.
5. When Gemel asked his math teacher how old she was: Ten years ago, my age
was equal to the square of my son's age. In 14 years, I will be twice as old as my
son
 AGREEMENT
Directions: Solve the following problems involving ages. Show your
solution in your notebook
1.The sum of the ages of Alvin, Simon and Theodore is 38. Five years
ago, Theodore was twice as old as Alvin. If two years from now, the
sum of the ages of Simon and Theodore will be four less than three
times Alvin's age, how old are Alvin, Simon and Theodore now? 2.
Diego is five years older than Dora. Two years ago, he is twice as old
as she is How old are they now?
3.Dawis father is 26 years old than him. In 10 years, the sum of their
ages will be 80. What are their present ages?
4. A girl is 12 years older than sister. The product of their ages is
540. How old is each?
5. The ages of Lucas and Matt are in the ratio 3.7. If you multiply
Lucas age by 4, you get the same result as when you add 40 to
Matt's age. How old are Lucas and Matt?