Puzzle # 6
Emma is 21 years older than her daughter. In six years, the daughter’s age will be one-fifth of Emma’s. So, where is the father right now?
Click to See Solution:
Answer: The father is with the mother and about to impregnate her!
Here’s how we solved it:
Let:
- The child’s current age be x
- The mother’s current age be x + 21 (since she is 21 years older than the child)
In 6 years, their ages will be:
- Child: x + 6
- Mother: (x + 21) + 6 = x + 27
The problem states that, in 6 years, the child’s age will be five times younger than the mother (meaning one-fifth of her age):
5(x+6)= (x+27)
5x+30=x+27
4x=27-30
4x= -3
X =-3/4
Since ages are measured in years, −3/4 means -9 months. A negative age means the child has not been born yet. In fact, the child has just been conceived!
The question asked, “Where is the father at the moment?” Given our result, the logical and humorous answer is:
👉 “The father is with the mother, about to impregnate her!” 😆
As you can see from the examples above, age puzzles can range from simple to quite complex, making them a timeless classic in the world of brain teasers. They challenge your reasoning, require creative thinking, and may sometimes call for a bit of arithmetic to piece together the clues. But in the end, they reward you with the satisfaction of cracking a well-crafted puzzle. So, the next time you encounter an age puzzle, embrace the challenge and enjoy the process of working your way to the solution!