Age problems are algebraic, dealing with people’s current, past, and future ages. According to Ventura‐Campos et al. (2022), age-related word problems typically compare two different points in a person’s life. If the problem involves a single person, it is like an Integer Problem. In addition, if an age problem includes two or more people’s ages, a table is appropriate for providing the solution while organizing the information about the age problem.
The first problem is that George was 6 years older than Betty. 13 years ago, George was 3 times as old as Betty. This problem aims to determine the current ages of George and Betty. The expression x represents Betty’s current age, while the age 13 years ago was x-7 and x-13 respectively. Since in the past 13 years George was thrice as old as Betty, then the algebraic equation is x-7=3(x-13), giving the value of x=7. Since x represents Betty’s current age, she is 16 years old, while George is 22.
Secondly, the current age of Shaniqua is 3 years older than that of the Moose. A focus is put on the current ages of the two cats. In addition, the next 5 years will give a sum of 23 years on their total age. This is solved by setting an expression y to represent the current age of Moose, and the age in the next 5 years is y+8 and y+5, respectively. The age of the cats in the next 5 yields the equation as y+8+y+5=23, giving the value of y=5. Since y represents Moose’s current age, she is 5 years old, while George is 8 years old.
Lastly, Tammy is 50 years old, and his son is 18. It determines the age that Ramon will be twice as old as his son. An algebraic expression z is assigned to the years that Ramon is twice as old as his son leading to 50+z and 18+z, respectively. The algebraic equation when Ramon is twice as old as his son is 50+z=2(18+z), resulting in z=14 years.
In conclusion, problems involving ages are typically solved by comparing the ages of two individuals or objects in the present and the future or the past. Word problems involving ages need first identifying the unknown and representing it as a variable or letter. In the three problems above, algebraic expressions x, y, and z were used to find the equation of the problem.
Reference
Ventura‐Campos, N., Ferrando Esteve, L., Miró‐Padilla, A., & Ávila, C. (2022). Brain‐Anatomy Differences in the Commission of Reversal Errors during Algebraic Word Problem Solving. Mind, Brain, and Education. Web.