Math Problem Statement

Henry's father is now twice as old as Henry is. He was four times as old 16 years ago. How old are they now?

Solution

Let's define the variables:

  • Let hh be Henry's current age.
  • Let ff be Henry's father's current age.

Step 1: Set up the equations

According to the problem, we have two conditions:

  1. Henry's father is now twice as old as Henry: f=2hf = 2h

  2. Henry's father was four times as old as Henry 16 years ago: f16=4(h16)f - 16 = 4(h - 16)

Step 2: Solve the system of equations

We can substitute the first equation f=2hf = 2h into the second equation.

Substitute f=2hf = 2h into f16=4(h16)f - 16 = 4(h - 16):

2h16=4(h16)2h - 16 = 4(h - 16)

Now, expand and simplify:

2h16=4h642h - 16 = 4h - 64

Subtract 2h2h from both sides:

16=2h64-16 = 2h - 64

Add 64 to both sides:

48=2h48 = 2h

Divide both sides by 2:

h=24h = 24

Now that we have Henry's age, we can find his father's age using f=2hf = 2h:

f=2(24)=48f = 2(24) = 48

Conclusion

  • Henry is 24 years old.
  • Henry's father is 48 years old.

Would you like any further explanation or details on this solution?


Here are 5 related questions:

  1. How would the problem change if Henry's father was 3 times as old as Henry 16 years ago?
  2. What if Henry was twice as old as he is now? How old would his father be?
  3. Can you find a general solution if Henry's father was nn times Henry's age 16 years ago?
  4. How does the solution change if instead of 16 years ago, it was 20 years ago?
  5. What if the problem stated that Henry’s father is now three times as old as Henry?

Tip: Always check your solutions by substituting them back into the original problem conditions.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Equations
Ages and Ratios

Formulas

Equation manipulation
Age problems

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8