All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

The difference between Charles’ and Shriya’s ages is 6 years. When they married each other 30 years ago, 4 times Cahrle’s age was the same as 5 times the age of Shriya. What is the current sum of their ages?

This question was previously asked in
RRB ALP 2018 CBT 2 Fitter Question Paper (21-Jan-2019) (Shift 3)
The correct answer is

114 years

Solving Charles and Shriya's Age Problem

This problem involves finding the current sum of ages of two people, Charles and Shriya, given their current age difference and a relationship between their ages 30 years ago. We can solve this by setting up a system of linear equations.

Understanding the Given Information

  • The current difference between Charles's and Shriya's ages is 6 years.
  • 30 years ago, 4 times Charles's age was equal to 5 times Shriya's age.
  • We need to find the current sum of their ages.

Setting Up the Equations

Let:

  • \(C\) be Charles's current age.
  • \(S\) be Shriya's current age.

From the first piece of information, the difference in their current ages is 6 years. This gives us one equation:

\(C - S = 6\) (Assuming Charles is older, we will verify this later)

30 years ago, Charles's age was \(C - 30\) and Shriya's age was \(S - 30\). The second piece of information gives us the relationship between their ages at that time:

\(4 \times (C - 30) = 5 \times (S - 30)\)

Solving the Equations

Now we have a system of two linear equations:

  1. \(C - S = 6\)
  2. \(4(C - 30) = 5(S - 30)\)

Let's simplify the second equation:

\(4C - 120 = 5S - 150\)

\(4C - 5S = -150 + 120\)

\(4C - 5S = -30\)

From the first equation, we can express \(C\) in terms of \(S\):

\(C = S + 6\)

Substitute this expression for \(C\) into the simplified second equation:

\(4(S + 6) - 5S = -30\)

\(4S + 24 - 5S = -30\)

\(-S + 24 = -30\)

Subtract 24 from both sides:

\(-S = -30 - 24\)

\(-S = -54\)

Multiply by -1:

\(S = 54\)

Now that we have Shriya's current age (\(S = 54\)), we can find Charles's current age (\(C\)) using the equation \(C = S + 6\):

\(C = 54 + 6\)

\(C = 60\)

So, Charles's current age is 60 years, and Shriya's current age is 54 years. This confirms our initial assumption that Charles is older, as \(60 - 54 = 6\).

Verifying the Ages 30 Years Ago

30 years ago:

  • Charles's age was \(60 - 30 = 30\) years.
  • Shriya's age was \(54 - 30 = 24\) years.

Let's check the condition: 4 times Charles's age was 5 times Shriya's age:

\(4 \times 30 = 120\)

\(5 \times 24 = 120\)

The condition \(120 = 120\) holds true, so our calculated ages are correct.

Calculating the Current Sum of Ages

The question asks for the current sum of their ages. This is \(C + S\):

Current Sum = \(60 + 54 = 114\)

The current sum of Charles's and Shriya's ages is 114 years.

Revision Table: Key Steps in Age Problems

Step Description
1 Define variables for current ages.
2 Translate the age differences and past/future age relationships into algebraic equations.
3 Solve the system of equations to find the unknown ages.
4 Verify the calculated ages using the original conditions.
5 Calculate the required value (e.g., sum, difference, specific age) based on the question.

Additional Information on Age Word Problems

Age word problems are common in mathematics and often require setting up and solving linear equations. The key is to carefully read the problem and correctly represent the ages at different points in time using variables.

  • Representing Ages: If a person's current age is \(x\), their age \(n\) years ago was \(x - n\), and their age \(n\) years from now will be \(x + n\).
  • Relationships: Phrases like "twice as old," "half the age," "difference," and "sum" translate directly into algebraic expressions.
  • Multiple People: When dealing with multiple people, use different variables (e.g., \(C\) and \(S\)) for each person's current age. Remember that the time elapsed (like 30 years in this problem) applies equally to everyone.

Practice with various types of age problems helps build confidence in setting up the correct equations and solving them efficiently.

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. Bipul is 16 years younger than Saibal. 12 years hence, Saibal's age will be 1.5 times that of Bipul. Saibal is now_____years old.

  2. Ages of Lalu and Balu are in the ratio of 1 : 2, after 7 years their ages ratio changes to 3 : 5. The elder person age is:

  3. The difference between Peter and Preeti’s ages is 5 years. When they married each other 35 years ago, 4 times Peter’s age was the same as 5 times the age of Preeti’s. What is the current sum of their ages?

  4. 13 years ago, Ram was twice as old as Sunny. Three years from now Sunny’s age will be 3/5 of Ram’s age. What is Ram’s current age?

  5. The ages of X and Y are in the ratio 4 : 7. Three years earlier, the ratio of their ages was 1 : 2. What is the difference between their current ages (Y - X)?

  6. Rathin is now 16 years old while his cousin is 7 years. After how many years will Rathin’s age be 1.5 times that of his cousin?

  7. John is 15 years younger than Jill. 12 years ago, Jill’s age was 1.5 times that of John. Jill is now ______ years old.

  8. Monika’s father was 38 years of age when she was born while her mother was 36 years old when her brother four years younger to her was born. What is the difference between the ages of her parents?

  9. The present ages of Kavitha, Rajitha and Haritha are in the ratio of 4 : 7 : 9. Eight years ago, the sum of their ages was 56. Find the present ages (in years).

  10. Jeremy is 26 years younger than his father. Eight years hence his father’s age will be two years less than twice his age. What is Jeremy’s present age (in years)?


Important Questions from Age

  1. In 2002, Meenu's age was one-third of the age of Meera, whereas in 2010, Meenu's age was half the age of Meera. What is Meenu's year of birth?

  2. A watch loses 2 minutes in every 24 while another watch gains 2 minutes, in 24 hours. At a particular instant, the two watches showed an identical time. Which of the following statements is correct if 24- hour clock is

  3. The sum of the ages of 5 members comprising a family, 3 years ago was 80 years. The average age of the family today is the same as it was 3 years ago, because of an addition of a baby during the intervening period. How old is the baby ?

  4. 5 years ago, my sister's age was 5 times my age. Now it is 3 times only. What is my sister's present age (in years)?

  5. The sum of ages of a father and his son is 45 years. Five years ago, the product of their ages (in yrs.) was 124. The present age of father is :

Need Expert Advice?
Upcoming Exams
RRB Technician
October 06, 2026
RRB JE
October 27, 2026
RRB ALP
November 03, 2026
Test Series
RRB ALP img
Railways
RRB ALP 2026 Mock Test series
1035 Tests 1 Tests Free
1087 Attempts
4.3(239)
English, Hindi

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App