algebra problem solving age questions

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Chapter 7: Factoring

7.9 Age Word Problems

One application of linear equations is what are termed age problems. When solving age problems, generally the age of two different people (or objects) both now and in the future (or past) are compared. The objective of these problems is usually to find each subject’s current age. Since there can be a lot of information in these problems, a chart can be used to help organize and solve. An example of such a table is below.

Example 7.9.1

Joey is 20 years younger than Becky. In two years, Becky will be twice as old as Joey. Fill in the age problem chart, but do not solve.

• The first sentence tells us that Joey is 20 years younger than Becky (this is the current age)
• The age change for both Joey and Becky is plus two years
• In two years, Becky will be twice the age of Joey in two years

Using this last statement gives us the equation to solve:

B + 2 = 2 ( B − 18)

Example 7.9.2

Carmen is 12 years older than David. Five years ago, the sum of their ages was 28. How old are they now?

• The first sentence tells us that Carmen is 12 years older than David (this is the current age)
• The second sentence tells us the age change for both Carmen and David is five years ago (−5)

Filling in the chart gives us:

The last statement gives us the equation to solve:

Five years ago, the sum of their ages was 28

[latex]\begin{array}{rrrrrrrrl} (D&+&7)&+&(D&-&5)&=&28 \\ &&&&2D&+&2&=&28 \\ &&&&&-&2&&-2 \\ \hline &&&&&&2D&=&26 \\ \\ &&&&&&D&=&\dfrac{26}{2} = 13 \\ \end{array}[/latex]

Therefore, Carmen is David’s age (13) + 12 years = 25 years old.

Example 7.9.3

The sum of the ages of Nicole and Kristin is 32. In two years, Nicole will be three times as old as Kristin. How old are they now?

• The first sentence tells us that the sum of the ages of Nicole (N) and Kristin (K) is 32. So N + K = 32, which means that N = 32 − K or K = 32 − N (we will use these equations to eliminate one variable in our final equation)
• The second sentence tells us that the age change for both Nicole and Kristen is in two years (+2)

In two years, Nicole will be three times as old as Kristin

[latex]\begin{array}{rrrrrrr} N&+&2&=&3(34&-&N) \\ N&+&2&=&102&-&3N \\ +3N&-&2&&-2&+&3N \\ \hline &&4N&=&100&& \\ \\ &&N&=&\dfrac{100}{4}&=&25 \\ \end{array}[/latex]

If Nicole is 25 years old, then Kristin is 32 − 25 = 7 years old.

Example 7.9.4

Louise is 26 years old. Her daughter Carmen is 4 years old. In how many years will Louise be double her daughter’s age?

• The first sentence tells us that Louise is 26 years old and her daughter is 4 years old
• The second line tells us that the age change for both Carmen and Louise is to be calculated ([latex]x[/latex])

In how many years will Louise be double her daughter’s age?

[latex]\begin{array}{rrrrrrr} 26&+&x&=&2(4&+&x) \\ 26&+&x&=&8&+&2x \\ -26&-&2x&&-26&-&2x \\ \hline &&-x&=&-18&& \\ &&x&=&18&& \end{array}[/latex]

In 18 years, Louise will be twice the age of her daughter.

For Questions 1 to 8, write the equation(s) that define the relationship.

• Rick is 10 years older than his brother Jeff. In 4 years, Rick will be twice as old as Jeff.
• A father is 4 times as old as his son. In 20 years, the father will be twice as old as his son.
• Pat is 20 years older than his son James. In two years, Pat will be twice as old as James.
• Diane is 23 years older than her daughter Amy. In 6 years, Diane will be twice as old as Amy.
• Fred is 4 years older than Barney. Five years ago, the sum of their ages was 48.
• John is four times as old as Martha. Five years ago, the sum of their ages was 50.
• Tim is 5 years older than JoAnn. Six years from now, the sum of their ages will be 79.
• Jack is twice as old as Lacy. In three years, the sum of their ages will be 54.

Solve Questions 9 to 20.

• The sum of the ages of John and Mary is 32. Four years ago, John was twice as old as Mary.
• The sum of the ages of a father and son is 56. Four years ago, the father was 3 times as old as the son.
• The sum of the ages of a wood plaque and a bronze plaque is 20 years. Four years ago, the bronze plaque was one-half the age of the wood plaque.
• A man is 36 years old and his daughter is 3. In how many years will the man be 4 times as old as his daughter?
• Bob’s age is twice that of Barry’s. Five years ago, Bob was three times older than Barry. Find the age of both.
• A pitcher is 30 years old, and a vase is 22 years old. How many years ago was the pitcher twice as old as the vase?
• Marge is twice as old as Consuelo. The sum of their ages seven years ago was 13. How old are they now?
• The sum of Jason and Mandy’s ages is 35. Ten years ago, Jason was double Mandy’s age. How old are they now?
• A silver coin is 28 years older than a bronze coin. In 6 years, the silver coin will be twice as old as the bronze coin. Find the present age of each coin.
• The sum of Clyde and Wendy’s ages is 64. In four years, Wendy will be three times as old as Clyde. How old are they now?
• A sofa is 12 years old and a table is 36 years old. In how many years will the table be twice as old as the sofa?
• A father is three times as old as his son, and his daughter is 3 years younger than his son. If the sum of all three ages 3 years ago was 63 years, find the present age of the father.

Answer Key 7.9

Intermediate Algebra Copyright © 2020 by Terrance Berg is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Here are some examples for calculating age in word problems.

Phil is Tom's father. Phil is 35 years old. Three years ago, Phil was four times as old as his son was then. How old is Tom now?

First, circle what it is you must ultimately find— how old is Tom now? Therefore, let t be Tom's age now. Then three years ago, Tom's age would be t – 3. Four times Tom's age three years ago would be 4( t – 3). Phil's age three years ago would be 35 – 3 = 32. A simple chart may also be helpful.

Now, use the problem to set up an equation.

Therefore, Tom is now 11.

Lisa is 16 years younger than Kathy. If the sum of their ages is 30, how old is Lisa?

First, circle what you must find— how old is Lisa? Let Lisa equal x . Therefore, Kathy is x + 16. (Note that since Lisa is 16 years younger than Kathy, you must add 16 years to Lisa to denote Kathy's age.) Now, use the problem to set up an equation.

Therefore, Lisa is 7 years old.

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Algebra: Age Word Problems

Related Pages Word Problems Involving Age Solving Age Word Problems Using Algebra More Algebra Lessons

Age problems are algebra word problems that deal with the ages of people currently, in the past or in the future.

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. This is shown in the examples involving a single person .

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. This is shown in the examples involving more than one person .

How To Solve Age Problems Involving A Single Person?

Example: Five years ago, John’s age was half of the age he will be in 8 years. How old is he now?

Solution: Step 1: Let x be John’s age now. Look at the question and put the relevant expressions above it.

Step 2: Write out the equation.

Isolate variable x

Answer: John is now 18 years old.

How To Use Algebra To Solve Age Problems?

• Ten years from now, Orlando will be three times older than he is today. What is his current age?
• In 20 years, Kayleen will be four times older than she is today. What is her current age?

How To Solve Age Problems Involving More Than One Person?

Example: John is twice as old as his friend Peter. Peter is 5 years older than Alice. In 5 years, John will be three times as old as Alice. How old is Peter now?

Solution: Step 1 : Set up a table.

Step 2: Fill in the table with information given in the question. John is twice as old as his friend Peter. Peter is 5 years older than Alice. In 5 years, John will be three times as old as Alice. How old is Peter now?

Let x be Peter’s age now. Add 5 to get the ages in 5 yrs.

Write the new relationship in an equation using the ages in 5 yrs.

In 5 years, John will be three times as old as Alice.

2 x + 5 = 3 ( x – 5 + 5) 2 x + 5 = 3 x

Isolate variable x x = 5

Answer: Peter is now 5 years old.

Example: John’s father is 5 times older than John and John is twice as old as his sister Alice. In two years time, the sum of their ages will be 58. How old is John now?

Solution: Step 1: Set up a table.

Step 2: Fill in the table with information given in the question. John’s father is 5 times older than John and John is twice as old as his sister Alice. In two years time, the sum of their ages will be 58. How old is John now?

Let x be John’s age now. Add 2 to get the ages in 2 yrs.

Write the new relationship in an equation using the ages in 2 yrs.

In two years time, the sum of their ages will be 58.

Answer: John is now 8 years old.

How To Solve Word Problems With Multiple Ages?

Example: Ben is eight years older than Sarah. 10 years ago, Ben was twice as old as Sarah. Currently, how old is Ben and Sarah?

Algebra Word Problems With Multiple Ages Example: Mary is three times as old as her son. In 12 years, Mary’s age will be one year less than twice her son’s age. How old is each now?

Algebra Word Problem With Past And Present Ages Example: Arun is 4 times as old as Anusha is today. Sixty years ago, Arun was 6 times as old as Anusha. How old are they today?

Algebra Age Word Problem With Past, Present, And Future Ages How to organize the data using a table and solve using a system of linear equations?

• Sally is 3 times as old as John. 8 years from now, Sally will be twice as old as John. How old is John?
• Kim is 6 years more than twice Timothy’s age. 2 years ago, Kim was three times as old as Timothy. How old was Kim 2 years ago?
• Leah is 2 less than 3 times Rachel’s age. 3 years from now, Leah will be 7 more than twice Rachel’s age. How old will Rachel be in 3 years from now?
• Becca is twice as old as Susan and Greg is 9 years older than Susan. 3 years ago, Becca was 9 less than 3 times Susan’s age. How old is Greg now?
• Lauren is 3 less than twice Andrew’s age. 4 years from now, Sam will be 2 more than twice Andrew’s age. 5 years ago, Sam was three times Andrew’s age. How old was Lauren 5 years ago?
• Gabby is 1 year more than twice Larry’s age. 3 years from now, Megan will be 27 less than twice Gabby’s age. 4 years ago, Megan was 1 year less than 3 times Larry’s age. How old will Megan be 3 years from now?

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"Age" Word Problems

Age Probs Diophantus

What are "age" word problems?

"Age" type word problems are those which compare two persons' ages, or one person's ages at different times in their lives, or some combination thereof.

Here's an example from my own life:

Content Continues Below

Age Word Problems

• In January of the year 2000, I was one more than eleven times as old as my son Will. In January of 2009, I was seven more than three times as old as him. How old was my son in January of 2000?

Obviously, in "real life" you'd have walked up to my kid and asked him how old he was, and he'd have proudly held up three grubby fingers, but that won't help you on your homework.

Here's how you'd figure out his age, if you'd been asked the above question in your math class:

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First, I'll need to name things and translate the English into math.

Since my age was defined in terms of Will's, I'll start with a variable for Will's age. To make it easy for me to remember the meaning of the variable, I will pick W to stand for "Will's age at the start, in the year 2000". Then Will's age in 2009, being nine years later, will be W + 9 . So I have the following information:

Will's age in 2000: W

Will's age in 2009: W + 9

My age was defined in terms of the above expressions. In the year 2000, I was "eleven times Will's age in the year 2000, plus one more", giving me:

my age in 2000: 11(W) + 1

My age in 2009 was also defined in terms of Will's age in 2009. Specifically, I was "three times Will's age in 2009, plus seven more", giving me:

my age in 2009: 3(W + 9) + 7

But I was also nine years older than I had been in the year 2000, which gives me another expression for my age in 2009:

my age in 2009: [ 11(W) + 1 ] + 9

My age in 2009 was my age in 2009. This fact means that the two expressions for "my age in 2009" must represent the same value. And this fact, in turn, allows me to create an equation — by setting the two equal-value expressions equal to each other:

3(W + 9) + 7 = [11(W) + 1] + 9

Solving, I get:

3W + 27 + 7 = 11W + 1 + 9

3W + 34 = 11W + 10

34 = 8W + 10

Since I set up this equation using expressions for my age, it's tempting to think that 3 = W stands for my age. But this is why I picked W to stand for "Will's age"; the variable reminds me that, no, 3 = W stands for Will's age, not mine.

And this is exactly what the question had asked in the first place. How old was Will in the year 2000?

Will was three years old.

Note that this word problem did not ask for the value of a variable; it asked for the age of a person. So a properly-written answer reflects this. " W = 3 " would not be an ideal response.

What are the steps for solving an age-based word problem?

The important steps for solving an age-based word problem are as follows:

• Figure out what is defined in terms of something else
• Set up a variable for that "something else" (labelling it clearly with its definition)
• Create an expression for the first time frame, and then
• Increment the expressions by the required amount (in the example above, this increment was nine years) to reflect the passage of time.

Don't try to use the same variable or expression to stand for two different things! Since, in the above, W stands for Will's age in 2000, then W can not also stand for his age in 2009. Make sure that you are very explicit about this when you set up your variables, expressions, and equations; write down the two sets of information as two distinct situations.

• Currently, Andrei is three times Nicolas' age. In ten years, Andrei will be twelve years older than Nicolas. What are their ages now?

Andrei's age in defined in terms of Nicolas' age, so I'll pick a variable for Nicolas' age now; say, " N ". This allows me to create an expression for Andrei's age now, which is three times that of Nicolas.

Nicolas' age now: N

Andrei's age now: 3N

In ten years, they each will be ten years older, so I'll add 10 to each of the above for their later ages.

Nicolas' age later: N + 10

Andrei's age later: 3N + 10

But I am also given that, in ten years, Andrei will be twelve years older than Nicolas. So I can create another expression for Andrei's age in ten years; namely, I'll take the expression for Nicolas' age in ten years, and add twelve to that.

Andrei's age later: [N + 10] + 12

Since Andrei's future age will equal his future age, I can take these two expressions for his future age, set them equal (thus creating an equation), and solve for the value of the variable.

3N + 10 = [N + 10] + 12

3N + 10 = N + 22

2N + 10 = 22

Okay; I've found the value of the variable. But, looking back at the original question, I see that they're wanting to know the current ages of two people. The variable stands for the age of the younger of the two. Since the older is three times this age, then the older is 18 years old. So my clearly-stated answer is:

Nicolas is 6 years old.

Andrei is 18 years old.

• One-half of Heather's age two years from now plus one-third of her age three years ago is twenty years. How old is she now?

This problem refers to Heather's age two years into the future and three years back in the past. Unlike most "age" word problems, this exercise is not comparing two different people's ages at the same point in time, but rather the same person's ages at different points in time.

They ask for Heather's age now, so I'll pick a variable to stand for this unknown; say, H . Then I'll increment this variable in order to create expressions for "two years ago" and "two years from now".

age two years from now: H + 2

age three years ago: H − 3

Now I need to create expressions, using the above, which will stand for certain fractions of these ages:

The sum of these two expressions is given as being " 20 ", so I'll add the two expressions, set their sum equal to 20 , and solve for the variable:

H / 2 + 1 + H / 3 − 1 = 20 H / 2 + H / 3 = 20 3H + 2H = 120 5H = 120 H = 24

Okay; I've found the value of the variable. Now I'll go back and check my definition of that variable (so I see that it stands for Heather's current age), and I'll check for what the exercise actually asked me to find (which was Heather's current age). So my answer is:

Heather is 24 years old.

Note: Remember that you can always check your answer to any "solving" exercise by plugging that answer back into the original problem. In the case of the above exercise, if Heather is 24 now, then she will be 26 in two years, half of which is 13 ; three years ago, she would have been 21 , a third of which is 7 . Adding, I get 13 + 7 = 20 , so my solution checks.

• In three more years, Miguel's grandfather will be six times as old as Miguel was last year. When Miguel's present age is added to his grandfather's present age, the total is 68 . How old is each one now?

The grandfather's age is defined in terms of Miguel's age, so I'll pick a variable to stand for Miguel's age. Since they're asking me for current ages, my variable will stand for Miguel's current age.

Miguel's age now: m

Now I'll use this variable to create expressions for the various items listed in the exercise.

Miguel's age last year: m − 1

six times Miguel's age last year: 6( m − 1)

Miguel's grandfather's age will, in another three years, be six times what Miguel's age was last year. This means that his grandfather is currently three years less than six times Miguel's age from last year, so:

grandfather's age now: 6( m − 1) − 3

Summing the expressions for the two current ages, and solving, I get:

( m ) + [6( m − 1) − 3] = 68

m + [6 m − 6 − 3] = 68

m + [6 m − 9] = 68

7 m − 9 = 68

Looking back, I see that this variable stands for Miguel's current age, which is eleven. But the exercise asks me for the current ages of bother of them, so:

Last year, Miguel would have been ten. In three more years, his grandfather will be six times ten, or sixty. So his grandfather must currently be 60 −3 = 57 .

Miguel is currently 11 .

His grandfather is currently 57 .

The puzzler on the next page is an old one (as in "Ancient Greece" old), but it keeps cropping up in various forms. It's rather intricate.

URL: https://www.purplemath.com/modules/ageprobs.htm

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Algebra Age-Related Word Problem Worksheets

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Problem-Solving to Determine Missing Variables

Many of the  SAT s, tests, quizzes, and textbooks that students come across throughout their high school mathematics education will have algebra word problems that involve the ages of multiple people where one or more of the participants' ages are missing.

When you think about it, it is a rare opportunity in life where you would be asked such a question. However, one of the reasons these types of questions are given to students is to ensure they can apply their knowledge in a problem-solving process.

There are a variety of strategies students can use to solve word problems like this, including using visual tools like charts and tables to contain the information and by remembering common algebraic formulas for solving missing variable equations.

Birthday Algebra Age Problem

 Deb Russell

In the following word problem, students are asked to identify the ages of both of the people in question by giving them clues to solve the puzzle. Students should pay close attention to key words like double, half, sum, and twice, and apply the pieces to an algebraic equation in order to solve for the unknown variables of the two characters' ages.

Check out the problem presented to the left: Jan is twice as old as Jake and the sum of their ages is five times Jake's age minus 48. Students should be able to break this down into a simple algebraic equation based on the order of the steps, representing Jake's age as a and Jan's age as 2a : a + 2a = 5a - 48.

By parsing out information from the word problem, students are able to then simplify the equation in order to arrive at a solution. Read on to the next section to discover the steps to solving this "age-old" word problem.

Steps to Solving the Algebraic Age Word Problem

First, students should combine like terms from the above equation, such as a + 2a (which equals 3a), to simplify the equation to read 3a = 5a - 48. Once they've simplified the equation on either side of the equals sign as much as possible, it's time to use the distributive property of formulas to get the variable  a  on one side of the equation.

In order to do this, students would subtract 5a  from both sides resulting in -2a = - 48. If you then divide each side by -2 to separate the variable from all real number in the equation, the resulting answer is 24.

This means that Jake is 24 and Jan is 48, which adds up since Jan is twice Jake's age, and the sum of their ages (72) is equal five times Jake's age (24 X 5 = 120) minus 48 (72).

An Alternate Method for the Age Word Problem

No matter what word problem you're presented with in algebra , there's likely going to be more than one way and equation that's right to figure out the correct solution. Always remember that the variable needs to be isolated but it can be on either side of the equation, and as a result, you can also write your equation differently and consequently isolate the variable on a different side.

In the example on the left, instead of needing to divide a negative number by a negative number like in the solution above, the student is able to simplify the equation down to 2a = 48, and if he or she remembers, 2a is the age of Jan! Additionally, the student is able to determine Jake's age by simply dividing each side of the equation by 2 to isolate the variable a.

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Age Word Problems Practice Test

About age word problems:.

When solving a word problem, the most important step is to understand the main objective. This gives the student a laser focus. We can then filter through all of the information, leading to an equation that can be solved. We then provide an answer and check to make sure it is reasonable.

• Demonstrate the ability to read a word problem and understand the main objective
• Understand how to set up an equation based on the information given in a word problem
• Demonstrate the ability to check the solution to a word problem

Instructions: solve each word problem

a) Jamie and Lynn are sisters. Lynn’s age is currently double that of Jamie’s age. Additionally, the sum of Jamie’s age and Lynn’s age is 45. How old is each sibling?

Watch the Step by Step Video Solution   |   View the Written Solution

a) Three people in a room, Jason, Larry, and Jennifer have a combined age of 97 years. One year ago, Larry’s age was four times the current age of Jason. Additionally, Jason is currently 1/3 of the age of Jennifer. How old is each person?

a) At the school fair, a teacher is trying to determine if Charles, Beth, and Holly can each ride on the Squirrel Cages. In order to ride the Squirrel Cages, the minimum age is 15 years old. The teacher knows that 5 years ago, Beth was the same age as Charles is today. Additionally, she also knows that Holly is 3 years older than Beth. If the sum of Charles’ age and Beth’s age is the same as Holly’s age 7 years from now, who can ride in the Squirrel Cages?

a) Katlyn and Sarah are best friends. Sarah is 36 years less than double Katlyn’s age. In 6 years, Sarah’s age will be 12 years more than half of Katlyn’s age. How old is each girl?

a) Three colleagues, Jessica, Jen, and Aya, are trying to guess the ages of each other. They find out that in 9 years, Jessica will be as old as Jen is today. Additionally, they find out that 11 years ago, Aya’s age would have been half of Jen’s current age. Additionally, they know that the sum of Jessica’s age and Jen’s age is the same as subtracting 1 away from the result of doubling Aya’s current age. How old is each girl?

a) Jamie is 15 years old, Lynn is 30 years old

Watch the Step by Step Video Solution

a) Jason is 12 years old, Larry is 49 years old, and Jennifer is 36 years old

a) Charles 10 - Can’t ride, Beth 15 - Can ride, Holly 18 - Can ride

a) Katlyn is 30 years old, Sarah is 24 years old

a) Jessica is 21 years old, Jen is 30 years old, and Aya is 26 years old

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Age-related Problems

If x = present age of a person x – 3 = age of the person 3 years ago x + 5 = age of the person 5 years from now or 5 years hence  

Note: The difference of the ages of two persons is constant at any time.  

If A = present age of Albert and B = present age of Bryan

Sum of their ages 4 years ago = ( A - 4) + ( B - 4) Sum of their ages 2 years hence = ( A + 2) + ( B + 2) Difference of their ages = A - B  

Example Six years ago, Romel was five times as old as Lejon. In five years, Romel will be three times as old as Lejon. What is the present age of Lejon?  

Six years ago $R - 6 = 5(L - 6)$

$R - 6 = 5L - 30$

$R = 5L - 24$  

Five years from now (in five years) $R + 5 = 3(L + 5)$

$R + 5 = 3L + 15$

$R = 3L + 10$  

Substitute R = 5 L - 24 $5L - 24 = 3L + 10$

$L = 17 \, \text{ yrs old}$           answer

• Example 01 | Age-related problem
• Example 02 | Age-related problem
• Example 03 | Age Related Problem in Algebra
• Example 04 | Age Related Problem in Algebra
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Lesson Age problems and their solutions

• Equation Problems of Age

Equation Problems of Age are part of the quantitative aptitude section. In the equation problems of age, the questions are such that they result in equations. These equations could become either linear or non-linear and they will have solutions that will represent the age of the people in the question. In the following sections, we will some of the examples of these problems and also learn about the various shortcuts that we can use to solve them. Let us start with some easier examples and concepts below.

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Equations are a convenient way to represent conditions or relations between two or more quantities . An equation could have one, two or more unknowns. The basic rule is that if the number of unknowns is equal to the number of conditions, then these equations are solvable, otherwise not. We will see some important examples here but first, let us see the following tricks.

If the age of a person is ‘x’, then ‘n’ years after today, the age = x + n. Similarly, n years in the past, the age of this would have been x – n years.

Example 1: A father and his son decide to sum their age. The sum is equal to sixty years. Six years ago the age of the father was five times the age of the son. Six years from now the son’s age will be:

A) 23 years               B) 19 years                  C) 20 years                        D) 22 years

Answer: Suppose that the present age of the son is = x years. Then the father’s age is (60 -x) years. Notice that we are trying to reduce the problem into as few variables as possible. As per the second condition of the question, we have:

The age of the father six years ago = (60 – x) – 6 years = 54 – x years.

Similarly the age of the son six years ago will be x – 6 years. Therefore as per the second condition , we have;

54 – x = 5(x – 6) or 54 – x = 5x – 30 and we can write 6x = 84

Hence, we have x = 14 years. Thus the son’s age after 6 years = (x+ 6) = (14 + 6) = 20 years. Hence the correct option is C) 20 years.

More Solved Examples

Example 2: The difference in the age of two people is 20 years. If 5 years ago, the elder one of the two was 5 times as old as the younger one, then their present ages are equal to:

A) 20 and 30 years respectively

B) 30 and 10 years respectively

C) 15 and 35 years respectively

D) 32 and 22 years respectively

Answer: The first step is to find the equation. Let the age of the younger person be x. Then the age of the second person will be (x + 20) years. Five years ago their ages would have been x – 5 years and x + 20 years. Therefore as per the question, we have: 5 (x – 5) = (x + 20 – 5) or 4x = 40 or x = 10. Therefore the ages are 10 years for the younger one and (10 + 20) years = 30 years for the elder one.

Example 3: Yasir is fifteen years elder than Mujtaba. Five years ago, Yasir was three times as old as Mujtaba. Then Yasir’s present age will be:

A) 29 years                  B) 30 years                     C) 31 years                        D) 32 years

Answer: Let the age of Yasir be = x years. Then the age of Mujtaba will be equal to x – 15 years. Now let us move on to the second condition. Five years ago the age of Yasir will be equal to x – 5 years. Also, the age of Mujtaba five years ago will be x – 15 – 6 years = x – 21 years. As per the question, we have:

3(x – 21) = x – 5 or 3x – 63 = x  – 5. Therefore we have: 2x = 58 and hence x = 29 years. Therefore Yasir’s present age is 29 years and the correct option is A) 29 years.

Example 4: Ten years ago, the age of a person’s mother was three times the age of her son. Ten years hence, the mother’s age will be two times the age of her son. The ratio of their present ages will be:

A) 10:19                        B) 9: 5                                 C) 7: 4                                      D) 7: 3

Answer: Let the age of the son ten years ago be equal to x years. Therefore the age of the mother ten years ago will be equal to 3x. Following this logic, we see that the present age of the son will be equal to x + 10 years and that of the mother will be equal to 3x + 10 years.

The second condition says that ten years from the present, the mother’s age will be twice that of her son. After ten year’s the mother’s age will be 3x + 10 + 10 years and that of the son will be x + 10 + 10 years. As per the question we have:

(3x + 10) +10 = 2 [(x + 10) + 10] or (3x + 20) = 2[x + 20]. In other words , we can write:

x = 20 years. Thus the present age of the mother = 3(20) + 10 = 70 years. Also the present age of the son = 20 + 10 = 30 years. Thus the ratio is 7:3 and the correct option is D) 7:3.

Practice Questions

Q 1: The age of a man is 24 years more than his son. In two years, the father’s age will be twice that of his son. Then the present age of his son is: A) 18 years                   B) 21 years               C) 22 years                 D) 24 years

Ans: C) 22 years.

Q 2: After 15 years Ramesh’s age will be 5 times his age 5 years ago. What is the present age of Ramesh? A) 5 years                     B) 10 years               C) 15 years                  D) 20 years

Ans: B) 10 years

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Age Problems

• Age Problems Practice Questions
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6 responses to “Ratio Based Age Problems”

3 peoples ages = 100,the older is 5 years older than the second,the age of the third is half of the seconds age ,whats the age of the thrid person ?

The ages of zaira and angel are in the ratio 7:9. Five years ago, the sum of their ages is 54. What are their present ages?

Am I crazy or is Q1 not the right answer? I got 24. I even looked this up elsewhere and people were reporting 24 is the correct answer (or rather none of the above in this case).

5 Read the information given. Form simultaneous equations and solve :

Present age of Raju is X years

Present age of Sanju is y years

Add 4 years , to their ages

The ratio of their ages is

Equation 121

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• Problems on Ages

 Problems on Ages Questions

A father said his son , " I was as old as you are at present at the time of your birth. " If the father age is 38 now, the son age 5 years back was :

Let the son's present age be x years .Then, (38 - x) = x => x= 19. 

Son's age 5 years back = (19 - 5) = 14 years

View Answer Report Error Discuss Filed Under: Problems on Ages

In 10 years, A will be twice as old as B was 10 years ago. If A is now 9 years older than B, the present age of B is :

Let B's present age = x years. Then, A's present age = (x + 9) years. (x + 9) + 10 = 2(x - 10)

 => x + 19 = 2x - 20

 => x =39.

The total age of A and B is 12 years more than the total age of B and C. C is how many years younger than A ?

(A+B) - (B+C) = 12

The ratio of the present ages of P and Q is 3 : 4. Five years ago, the ratio of their ages was 5 : 7. Find their present ages.

As the ratio of their present ages is 3 : 4 , let their present ages be 3X and 4X.

So, 5 years ago, as the ratio of their ages was 5 : 7, we can write  (3x-5) : (4x-5) = 5 : 7. Solving, we get X = 10. Hence, their present ages are 3X = 30 and 4X = 40

View answer Workspace Report Error Discuss Subject: Problems on Ages

The age of a man is 4 times of his son. Five years ago, the man was nine times old as his son was at that time. The present age of man is?

Let the son's age be x years and the father's age be 4x years 

       5x = 40

        x = 8

The sum of the present ages of a father and his son is 60 years. five years ago, father's age was four times the age of the son. so now the son's age will be:

Let the present ages of son and father be x and (60 -x) years respectively. Then, (60 - x) - 5= 4(x - 5) 55 - x = 4x - 20 5x = 75  => x = 15

What is the age of Teja?

A: Four years ago, Raju was as old as Teja is at present.

B: Sita’s present age is two times of Raju’s present age.

C: The average age of Teja and Sita is 19 years.

From the given statements A, B & C

Let the present age of Teja = P

Raju present age = P + 4

Sita's present age = 2(P + 4)

Average of ages of Sita & Teja = 19

=> (2P + 8 + P)/2 = 19

= 3P + 8 = 38

=> P = 30/3 = 10

Hence, the present age of Teja = P = 10 yrs.

Therefore, by using all the three statements A, B & C we can find the age of Teja.

View Answer Report Error Discuss Filed Under: Problems on Ages Exam Prep: AIEEE , Bank Exams , CAT , GATE Job Role: Analyst , Bank Clerk , Bank PO

The average age of a group of 10 students is 15 years. When 5 more students join the group, the average age increase by 1 year. The average age of the new students is?

Total age of 10 students = 150 years

Total age of 15 students = 240 years

Total age of 5 new students = 240 - 150 = 90 years

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The Eclipse Chaser

As millions of americans prepare to see a total solar eclipse, a retired astrophysicist known as “mr. eclipse,” discusses the celestial phenomenon..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

Can you hear — Fred, can you hear me?

[DISTORTED SPEECH]:

The internet is a little wonky.

OK. Well, [DISTORTED SPEECH]: Arizona. So the internet speed here isn’t really fast.

I think we’re going to call — yeah, I think we’re going to call you back on a — for the first time in a really long time — a landline.

[PHONE RINGING]

Hey, Fred, it’s Michael Barbaro.

You can hear me OK?

I can hear you.

Perfect. So, Fred, where exactly am I reaching you?

I’m in Portal, Arizona, in a little community called Arizona Sky Village. And it’s a very rural community. So our internet and phone lines are not very good. And the nearest grocery store is 60 miles away.

Wow. And why would you choose to live in such a remote place with such bad internet?

Because the sky is dark. It’s like the sky was a hundred years ago before cities encroached on all of the country. I guess you’d call it an astronomy development. Mainly, amateur astronomers who have built homes here far from city lights for the express purpose of studying the sky.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So it’s literally a community where once the sun goes down, it’s pitch black. And some, perhaps all of you, are stargazing?

Yes, exactly.

Well, I think I’m beginning to understand why you might have the nickname that you do. Can you just tell our listeners what that nickname is?

My nickname is Mr. Eclipse.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.” Today’s total solar eclipse will be watched by millions of people across North America, none of them as closely as Fred Espenak, a longtime NASA scientist who’s devoted his entire life to studying, chasing, and popularizing the wonder that is an eclipse.

It’s Monday, April 8.

Fred, help me understand how you become Mr. Eclipse, how you go from being Fred to this seemingly very hard-earned nickname of Mr. Eclipse.

Well, I was visiting my grandparents at their summer home. And it was a partial eclipse of the sun back in the early 1960s. And I was a 10 - or 12-year-old kid. I got my parents to get me a small telescope. And I watched some of the partial phases. And it was really interesting.

And I started reading about eclipses. And I found out that as interesting as a partial eclipse is, a total eclipse is far more interesting. The moon is only 1/400 the diameter of the sun. It’s tiny compared to the sun. But it’s 400 times closer to the Earth. So it’s just this incredible coincidence that the moon and sun appear to be the same size in the sky. And once in a while, the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun. And you’re plunged into this very strange midday twilight.

But they’re limited to a very small geographic areas to see a total eclipse. And this little book I was studying had a map of the world, showing upcoming paths of total solar eclipses. And I realized that one was passing through North America about 600 miles from where I lived. And that eclipse was in 1970.

And I was reading about this in 1963, 1964. And I made a promise to myself that I was going to get to that eclipse in 1970 to see it because I thought it was a one chance in a lifetime to see a total eclipse of the sun.

So just to be very clear, you see a partial eclipse, and you immediately think to yourself, that was fine. But I need the real thing. I need a full eclipse. And you happen to find out, around this time, that a real eclipse is coming but in seven years.

Right. I mean, there were other eclipses between that time and seven years in the future. But they were in other parts of the world. And I couldn’t buy an airplane ticket and fly to Europe or Australia.

And by 1970, I’d been waiting for this. And by this point, I had just gotten a driver’s license. And I convinced my parents to let me drive the car 600 miles to get down into the path of totality to see this great event.

Wow. Wait, from where to where?

From Staten Island, New York, down to a little town in North Carolina.

How did you convince your parents to let you do that? I mean, that’s —

Well, I had seven years to work on it.

[LAUGHS]: Right.

And I was just a nerdy kid. I didn’t get into trouble. I was interested in science. I was out in the woods, studying frogs and wildlife and stuff. So this was just a natural progression of the type of things I would normally do.

Right. OK. So I wonder if you can describe this journey you end up taking from Staten Island. How does the trip unfold as you’re headed on this 600 mile?

So, I think, on March 6, 1970, it was a Friday. My friend and I left to drive to the eclipse path. We probably got on the road probably at 5:00 AM because it was going to be a very long day.

And we’ve got a detailed map in the car, which I’ve plotted the eclipse path on. And we’re just trying to get far enough south to get into the path of the eclipse, which for us is easternmost Virginia or Eastern North Carolina. And I drive and drive and drive all day long. Very long day.

We get down to North Carolina right about maybe 6:00 PM. And we just see this little town in North Carolina that we’re driving through. And it happens to have a convenient motel right in the center of the path. And that was good enough. Got a room available. And we check in. And that’s where we’re going to watch the eclipse from.

And the next morning was eclipse day. It was a bright, crisp, sunny morning. There weren’t any clouds at all in the sky. And I was amazed that outside the back of the motel, in this grassy field, there were dozens and dozens of people with telescopes out there, specifically there for the eclipse that morning.

We were really excited about this. We set up our — my telescope. And we had another camera set up to watch it. And we walked around and marveled at some of the other people and their telescopes and discussed the eclipse with them. And the eclipse started probably around noon or 1:00 in the afternoon.

Describe the actual event itself, the eclipse. How did it begin?

Well, all solar eclipses begin as a partial eclipse. And the sun is gradually covered by the moon as the moon takes larger and larger pieces out of the sun, as it slowly crawls across the sun’s surface. And you don’t really notice much going on with a naked eye.

It’s really only in the last 10 minutes or so that you start to notice changes in the environment because now enough of the sun has been covered, upwards of maybe 90 percent of the sun. And you start to notice the temperature falling. There’s a chill in the air.

Also, since so much of the sun is covered, the daylight starts to take on an anemic quality. It’s weak. The sun is still too bright to look at. But the surroundings, the environment is not as bright as it was a half hour earlier.

You start to notice animals reacting to the dwindling sunlight. They start acting like it’s sunset. And they start performing some of their evening rituals, like birds roosting, perhaps calling their evening songs. And plants start closing up and the dropping sunlight. And then the dropping temperatures.

And there’s an acceleration now of all these effects. The temperature drop, the drop in the sunlight, it starts happening faster and faster and getting darker and darker. And maybe about a minute before the total eclipse began, we noticed strange patterns on the ground beneath us, on the grassy field that we were on — these ripples racing across the field. And these are something called shadow bands.

They look a lot like the rippling patterns that you would see on the bottom of a swimming pool, bands of light and dark, and moving very quickly across the ground. The sky is — it’s a dark blue. And it’s getting darker rapidly in this dwindling sunlight. And you go from daylight to twilight in just 10 or 20 seconds. It’s almost like someone has the hand on the rheostat and turns the house lights down in the theater.

You just see the light just go right down.

And the sky gets dark enough that the corona, the outer atmosphere of the sun, starts emerging from the background sky. This ring or halo of gas that surrounds the sun, and it’s visible around the moon, which is in silhouette against the sun. And along one edge of the moon is this bright bead of sunlight because that’s the last remaining piece of the sun before it becomes total.

And this is the diamond ring effect because you’ve got the ring of the corona and this dazzling jewel along one edge of it. You only get to see this for 10 or 15 seconds — it’s very fleeting — before the moon completely covers the sun’s disk. And totality begins. Suddenly, you’re in this twilight of the moon’s shadow.

And you look around the horizon. And you’re seeing the colors of sunrise or sunset 360 degrees around the horizon because you’re looking out the edge of the moon’s shadow. And looking back up into the sky, the sun is gone now. And you see this black disk of the moon in silhouette surrounded by the sun’s corona.

Maybe this says more about my nature than anything else, but what you’re describing, a little bit, feels like the end of the world.

Well, I think, when you see this all transpire, you can easily understand how people thought this was the end of the world because it seems far outside of the realms of nature. It seems supernatural. So you can see how people panicked that didn’t understand what was going on.

That was not your reaction?

No. I think it’s a sense of belonging — belonging to this incredible universe, both belonging and a humbleness that how minuscule we are. And yet we’re a part of this fantastic cosmic wheel of motion in the solar system. You almost get a three-dimensional sense of the motions of the Earth and the moon around the sun when you see this clockwork displayed right in front of you, this mechanics of the eclipse taking place.

It almost lifts you up off the planet, and you can look back down at the solar system and see how it’s all put together. And you’ve only got to, in that case — in that particular eclipse, it was only 2 and 1/2 minutes to look at this.

Wow. It’s kind of a clock in your head, saying, you don’t have much of this.

You don’t have much of it. And it almost seems like time stops.

And at the same time, all of a sudden, the eclipse is over. Those 2 minutes just raced by. And it’s over. All of a sudden, the diamond ring forms again on the opposite side of the moon, as the sun starts to become uncovered at the end of totality. And the diamond ring appears. It grows incredibly bright in just a few seconds. And you can’t look at it anymore. It’s too bright. You’ve got to put your filters back on and cover your telescope with a solar filter so it doesn’t get damaged. And you’re trembling because of this event.

Everybody was cheering and shouting and yelling. I mean, you would have thought you were at a sports game, and the home team just scored a touchdown. Just everybody screaming at the top of their lungs. And I immediately started thinking that this can’t be a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve got to see this again.

We’ll be right back.

OK. So, Fred, it’s the early 1970s. And you are not Mr. Eclipse yet. You’re just a kid who felt something very big when you watched an eclipse. So how did you end up becoming the premier authority that you now are on eclipses?

Well, after that 1970 eclipse, I started looking into upcoming solar eclipses so I could get a chance to see the sun’s corona again. And the next total eclipse was in Eastern Canada in July of 1972. And I started thinking about that eclipse. And by then, I was going to be in college.

And I started planning because that one was still something I could drive to. It was 1,200 miles instead of 600 miles.

So the summer of 1972 rolls around. And I drove up to the eclipse in Quebec to see totality and was unfortunately clouded out of the eclipse. I saw some of the partial phases. But clouds moved in and obscured the sun for that view of the sun’s corona.

You were robbed.

I was robbed. And I realized, well, I’ve got to expand my outlook on what’s an acceptable distance to travel to see a total eclipse because the next total eclipse then, in 1973, was through the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa. So I traveled to the Sahara desert for the eclipse, where we had decent weather, not perfect but decent weather. And we got to see totality there.

You saw totality in the desert?

In the desert. In the Sahara Desert. After that, it was just trying to get to every total eclipse I possibly could get to.

At this point, you’re clearly starting to become an eclipse chaser. And I don’t even know if such a thing existed at that moment.

Yeah. I don’t know if it was called that then, but certainly, yeah.

And if you’ll permit me a question that might seem maybe dopey to someone in your field, after you’ve seen one or two or three of these, do they start to blend in together and become a little bit the same?

Not at all. Each one is distinctly different. The sun itself is dramatically different. The sun’s corona is different at each eclipse because the corona is a product of the sun’s magnetic field. And that magnetic field is changing every day. So the details, the fine structure in the sun’s corona is always different. So every eclipse is dramatically different. The appearance of the sun’s corona.

Right. If you look at one Renoir, it’s not the same as the next one. You’re describing the corona of each eclipse as its own work of art, basically.

Exactly. Yeah.

So as you’re chasing these eclipses around the world, what is the place of an eclipse in your day-to-day academic studies and, soon enough, your professional work?

So I went to grad school at University of Toledo and did some work at Kitt Peak National Observatory, learning the ins and outs of photometric photometry — that is, measuring the brightness of stars. And eventually, this led to a job opening at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

And I got interested in the idea of predicting eclipses and started studying the mathematics of how to do this. And I took it over unofficially and started publishing these technical maps and details. And we published about a dozen books through NASA on upcoming eclipses. People would just write me a letter and say they wanted a copy of the eclipse bulletin for such and such an eclipse. And I would stuff it in an envelope and mail it to them.

So you take it upon yourself to make sure that everyone is going to know when the next eclipse is coming?

And no doubt, during this period, you keep going to each and every eclipse. And I wonder which of them stand out to you.

Well, I’ve seen total eclipses from Australia, from Africa, from the Altiplanos in Bolivia, from the ice sheet on the coast of Antarctica, and even from Northern China, on the edge of the Gobi Desert. But one of the most notable eclipses for me was I traveled to India to see a 41-second eclipse, which was very short. And besides seeing a great eclipse in India, I also met my future wife there. She was on the same trip.

I have to hear that story.

Well, she had been trying to see a total eclipse for about 25 years.

She tried to see the 1970 eclipse. But her friends who were going to drive down from Pennsylvania down to North Carolina talked her out of it at the 11th hour.

They talked her out of seeing the same eclipse that was your first total eclipse that was so important to you?

Yes. And they talked her out of it because from Pennsylvania, they were going to have maybe a 90 percent eclipse. They didn’t know any better. They thought that was good enough. And she regretted that decision.

So then she said, OK, well, I’ve got to get to the next total eclipse, which was in Quebec in 1972, the same one that was my second eclipse. And we were probably within five miles of each other in Quebec. And we were both clouded out. Then she was married. She was raising kids. She got busy with domestic life for 20 years. She became a widow.

So now, 1995, there’s this 41-second eclipse in India that is very difficult to get to. It’s halfway around the world. But she’s still itching to see a total eclipse. And we joined the same expedition, a travel group, of 30 eclipse chasers and end up in India for the eclipse. And we have fantastic weather. It’s perfect.

She was in tears after totality. She had been waiting so long to see it. And we struck up a friendship on that trip. By the time the 1998 eclipse was taking place in the Caribbean, at that point, we were together. That was our first eclipse to observe as a couple. I think our wedding cake had a big eclipse on the top of the cake.

[LAUGHS]: Perfect.

We made a music CD for the wedding that we played during the reception. And of course, all the music on the CD had sun and moon themes to it.

Nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart

Of course, we had “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” It was a must-have.

Had to. Had to.

It strikes me, Fred, that eclipses are such an organizing principle in your life. Your life seems to literally orbit around them. When you were a kid, you started planning for them years in advance. This work becomes central to your career. It’s how you meet your wife.

And you said, when I asked you, about each eclipse that they’re all different. And obviously, you’re different at each eclipse because time has passed. Your life has changed. And it just feels like your life is being lived in a kind of ongoing conversation with this phenomenon of the sun and the moon overlapping.

Well, the eclipses are like benchmarks that I can use to figure out what else was going on in my life during these times, because I remember the dates of every single eclipse I’ve been to. And if I see a photograph of the solar corona shot during any particular eclipse, I know what eclipse that was. I can recognize the pattern of the corona like a fingerprint.

That’s amazing.

And I the year of the eclipse. It reminds me of when Pat and I got married and between which eclipse we were getting married and had to plan our wedding so it didn’t interfere with any kind of eclipse trips.

And they just serve as benchmarks or markers for the rest of my life of when various eclipses take place. So they’re easy for marking the passage of time.

So we are, of course, talking to you a few days before this year’s eclipse, which I cannot fathom you missing. So where are you planning to watch this total eclipse?

Pat and I are leaving for Mazatlán, Mexico, actually tomorrow. And we’ve got about 80 people joining us down in Mazatlán for this eclipse in our tour group.

And for you, of course, this year’s eclipse is just the latest in a very long line of eclipses. But I think, for the rest of us — and here, I’m thinking about myself — this is really going to be my first total eclipse, at least that I can remember. And for my two little kids, it’s absolutely going to be their first.

And given the hard-earned wisdom that you’ve accumulated in all your decades of chasing eclipses around the world, I wonder if you can give us just a little bit of advice for how to best live inside this very brief window of a total solar eclipse, to make sure, not to be cliche, but that we make it count.

Well, I think one mistake that people tend to make is getting preoccupied with recording everything in their lives, what they had for lunch, what they had for dinner. And seeing the eclipse is something that you want to witness firsthand. Try to be present in seeing the eclipse in the moment of it. So don’t get preoccupied with recording every instant of it.

Sit back and try to take in the entire experience because those several minutes pass by so rapidly. But you’ll replay them in your mind over and over and over again. And you don’t want technology getting between you and that experience. And remember to take your eclipse glasses off when totality begins. Note how dark it gets during totality.

Take the glasses off because?

Well, the glasses protect your eyes from the sun’s bright disk. But when totality begins, the sun’s bright disk is gone. So if you use your solar eclipse glasses to try to look at the corona, you won’t see anything. You’ll just see blackness. You’ve got to remove the eclipse glasses in order to see the corona. And it’s completely safe.

And it’s an incredible sight to behold. But during totality, you just want to look around without the glasses on. And take in the sights. Take in the horizon, 360 degrees, surrounding you with these twilight colors and sunset colors.

You’ll easily be able to see Jupiter and Venus shining on either side of the sun during totality. And look at the details in the sun’s corona, fine, wispy textures, and any possible red prominences hugging against the moon’s disk during totality.

And let’s say it’s now the moment of totality, and you, Mr. Eclipse, can whisper one thing into someone’s ear as they’re watching. What would you say to them?

Enjoy. Just take it all in.

Well, Fred, thank you very much. We really appreciate it.

No, thank you. I hope everybody has some clear sky.

After today, the next total solar eclipse to be visible from the continental United States will occur 20 years from now, in 2044. In other words, you might as well watch today’s.

Here’s what else you need to know today. Israel has fired two officers in connection with the deadly airstrike on aid workers from the World Central Kitchen who were killed last week while delivering food to civilians in Gaza. In a report released on Friday, Israel blamed their deaths on a string of errors made by the military. The airstrike, Israel said, was based on insufficient and incorrect evidence that a passenger traveling with the workers was armed.

Meanwhile, Israel said it withdrew a division of ground troops from Southern Gaza on Sunday, leaving no soldiers actively patrolling the area. The move raises questions about Israel’s strategy as the war drags into its sixth month. In particular, it casts doubt on Israel’s plans to invade Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, an invasion that the United States has asked Israel not to carry out for fear of large-scale civilian casualties.

Today’s episode was produced by Alex Stern and Sydney Harper, with help from Will Reid and Jessica Cheung. It was edited by Devon Taylor; fact-checked by Susan Lee; contains original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Corey Schreppel; and sound design by Elisheba Ittoop and Dan Powell. It was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Anthony Wallace.

[THEME MUSIC]

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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• April 1, 2024   •   36:14 Ronna McDaniel, TV News and the Trump Problem
• March 29, 2024   •   48:42 Hamas Took Her, and Still Has Her Husband
• March 28, 2024   •   33:40 The Newest Tech Start-Up Billionaire? Donald Trump.
• March 27, 2024   •   28:06 Democrats’ Plan to Save the Republican House Speaker
• March 26, 2024   •   29:13 The United States vs. the iPhone

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Produced by Sydney Harper and Alex Stern

With Will Reid and Jessica Cheung

Edited by Devon Taylor

Original music by Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Corey Schreppel

Sound Design by Elisheba Ittoop and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Today, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to see a rare total solar eclipse.

Fred Espenak, a retired astrophysicist known as Mr. Eclipse, was so blown away by an eclipse he saw as a teenager that he dedicated his life to traveling the world and seeing as many as he could.

Mr. Espenak discusses the eclipses that have punctuated and defined the most important moments in his life, and explains why these celestial phenomena are such a wonder to experience.

On today’s episode

Fred Espenak, a.k.a. “Mr. Eclipse,” a former NASA astrophysicist and lifelong eclipse chaser.

Background reading

A total solar eclipse is coming. Here’s what you need to know.

Millions of people making plans to be in the path of the solar eclipse on Monday are expecting an awe-inspiring. What is that feeling?

The eclipse that ended a war and shook the gods forever.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

Fact-checking by Susan Lee .

Special thanks to Anthony Wallace.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Corey Schreppel leads the technical team that supports all Times audio shows, including “The Daily,” “Hard Fork,” “The Run-Up,” and “Modern Love.” More about Corey Schreppel

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