SOLUTION: When Ramon was 12 years old, his father was 40. How many years must pass for Ramon to be 8 years older than one-fourth as old as his father.

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Age -> SOLUTION: When Ramon was 12 years old, his father was 40. How many years must pass for Ramon to be 8 years older than one-fourth as old as his father.      Log On

Ad: Over 600 Algebra Word Problems at edhelper.com


    

Question 1180782: When Ramon was 12 years old, his father was 40. How many years must pass for Ramon to be 8 years older than one-fourth as old as his father.
Found 2 solutions by ankor@dixie-net.com, greenestamps:
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
When Ramon was 12 years old, his father was 40.
How many years must pass for Ramon to be 8 years older than one-fourth as old as his father.
:
let y = no. of yrs for this to be true
y + 12 = 1%2F4(y + 40) + 8
Get rid of the fraction, multiply by 4
4(y+12) = y + 40 + 4(8)
4y + 48 = y + 40 + 32
4y - y = 72 - 48
3y = 24
y = 24/3
y = 8 years for this to happen
:
Check this
8 + 12 = 1%2F4(40+8) + 8
20 = 1%2F4(48) + 8
20 = 12 + 8

Answer by greenestamps(13200) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Here is another of many different ways this problem could be solved....

The difference between their ages is 28 years. Use that to find how old they are when Ramon's age is 8 more than one-fourth his father's age.

x = father's age when Ramon's age is 8 more than one-fourth his father's age
(1/4)x+8 = Ramon's age then

The difference between their ages then (as always) is 28:

x-%28%281%2F4%29x%2B8%29=28
x+-+%281%2F4%29x-8=28
%283%2F4%29x=36
x+=+36%284%2F3%29+=+48

%281%2F4%29x%2B8+=+48%2F4%2B8+=+12%2B8+=+20

The father will be 48 and the son 20 when the son's age is 8 more than one-fourth his father's age.

Now, having determined that, I will submit that the question that is asked can't be answered, because there is not enough information.

We know that some time in the past Ramon was 12 and his father was 40.

And we know that some time in the future Ramon will be 20 and his father will be 48.

Then the question asks HOW MANY YEARS MUST PASS before the time when Ramon is 20 and his father is 48.

But there is nothing in the statement of the problem that lets us determine how old either of them is NOW -- and therefore we can't determine how many years MUST PASS until their ages are 20 and 48.