How to Solve Age Difference Puzzles: A Step-by-Step Guide
Age difference puzzles are a fun and logical challenge that can help improve your problem-solving skills. One common type of age difference puzzle involves determining the current age of a sibling based on their ages in the past. Let's break down the steps and solve a few examples to better understand how to tackle these puzzles.The Problem
Consider the following problem: 'When I was 9 my sister was twice my age. Now I am 21. How old is she?' Here's a detailed step-by-step guide to solve this puzzle and similar problems.Solution Approach
1. **Identify the Age Difference**: When you were 9, your sister was twice your age. This means she was 18. The age difference between you and your sister is 9 years (18 - 9). 2. **Apply the Age Difference to the Current Situation**: Now that you are 21, we can find your sister's current age by adding the age difference to your age. So, your sister's current age is 21 9 30. Let's walk through the solution with a few examples to ensure clarity.Example 1
When you were 9 your sister was twice your age which means she was 18 at that time. The age difference between you and your sister is 9 years (18 - 9).
Now that you are 21, your sister would be:
21 9 30 years old.
Your sister is 30 years old now. This is a clear and straightforward approach backed by simple arithmetic.
Example 2
Another variation of the problem states, 'Difference in their age is 10 years that will be constant! So at the age of 50, your sister would be 60 years old.' This example reinforces the concept that the age difference remains constant over time.
To verify this, consider the following calculation:
50 10 60
Your sister's age is 60 years, reflecting the same age difference of 10 years.
Additional Examples
For further clarity, consider the following scenarios:
Scenario 1
When you were 10 your sister was 20. The difference in their ages was 10 years, which will not change. So, if you are 50, your sister would be:
50 10 60
Scenario 2
By simplifying the problem, we can see that the difference in age will always be the same. If the age difference is 10 years, then:
44 10 54
33 10 43
Essentially, the age difference remains a constant value regardless of the current ages involved.