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| Question 1145983:  Four years ago, I was half as old as my father. Six years hence, I will be three fifths as old as he. How old I am now?
 Found 2 solutions by  Theo, MathTherapy:
 Answer by Theo(13342)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! let x = your age and y = your father's age. 
 4 years ago, you were half as old as your father.
 the formula for that is x-4 = 1/2 * (y-4)
 
 6 years from now, you will be 3/5 as old as your father.
 the formula for that is x+6 = 3/5 * (y+6)
 
 you have two equations that need to be solved simultaneously.
 they are:
 
 x-4 = 1/2 * (y-4)
 x+6 = 3/5 * (y+6)
 
 add 4 to both sides of the first equation and subtract 6 from both sides of the second equation to get:
 
 x = 1/2 * (y-4) + 4
 x = 3/5 * (y+6) - 6
 
 simplify both equations to get:
 
 x = 1/2 * y - 2 + 4 = 1/2 * y + 2
 x = 3/5 * y + 3/5 * 6 - 6 = 3/5 * y - 12/5
 
 you get:
 
 x = 1/2 * y + 2
 x = 3/5 * y - 12/5
 
 put both equations under the common denominator of 10 to get:
 
 x = 5/10 * y + 20/10
 x = 6/10 * y - 24/10
 
 subtract the first equation from the second to get:
 
 0 = 1/10 * y - 44/10
 
 multiply both sides of this equation by 10 to get 0 = y - 44
 
 add 44 to both sides of this equation and solve for y to get y = 44.
 
 that's the current age of your father.
 
 4 years ago, you were half the age of your father.
 that means that you were half of 40 = 20.
 
 6 years from now, you will be 3/5 * the age of your father.
 your father will be 50 and you will be 3/5 * 50 = 30.
 
 your current age has to be 24 because, 4 years ago you were 20, and 6 years from now, you will be 30.
 
 
Answer by MathTherapy(10556)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Four years ago, I was half as old as my father. Six years hence, I will be three fifths as old as he. How old I am now? 
 Let my age be M, and my father's, FThen 4 years ago, F - 4 = 2(M - 4)_____F = 2M - 4
 Then in 6 years' time, we get:
  5M + 30 = 3(2M + 2) ------ Multiplying by LCD, 5
 5M + 30 = 6M + 6
 5M - 6M = 6 - 30
 - M = - 24
 M, or my age is:
  
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