Solving an Age Puzzle: When You’re 24, How Old is Your Brother?

Have you ever come across an age-related puzzle that left you stumped? This common mathematical brain teaser might seem straightforward at first, but a little bit of thinking can reveal the answer. Let's dive into one such puzzle: when you were 8 years old, your brother was one fourth of your age. Now that you're 24, how old is your brother?

Breaking Down the Puzzle

Let's start by deciphering the information provided:

Case 1: When You Were 8

When you were 8 years old, your brother was one-fourth of your age. To find his age, we can simply divide 8 by 4:

8 ÷ 4 2 years old

Your brother was 2 years old when you were 8 years old. This indicates that he is 6 years younger than you.

Case 2: Now You Are 24

Now that you are 24 years old, we can use the information that your brother is 6 years younger to determine his current age:

24 - 6 18 years old

Your brother is 18 years old now.

Alternative Approaches

Sometimes, puzzles can have more than one logical approach. Let's explore two more methods to arrive at the same conclusion:

Case 3: 14 Years Later

Another way to solve this puzzle is by considering a timeline. If you were 10 years old 14 years ago, your brother was 5 years old at that time. Now, 14 years have passed, so we can add 14 years to your brother's age from 14 years ago:

5 14 19 years old

Your brother is 19 years old now.

Case 4: Verifying with a Simple Subtraction

A straightforward method involves subtracting the age difference from your current age:

24 - 14 10

You were 10 years old when your brother was 5.

Now, 14 years later, your brother would be:

10 (14 - 9) 19 years old

This confirms that your brother is also 19 years old now.

Conclusion

Understanding age puzzles can be a fun and engaging way to exercise your mathematical skills. Whether you use a division, a timeline, or simple subtraction, the answer remains the same: when you are 24 years old, your brother is 19 years old, provided he is 6 years younger than you.

Feel free to share this puzzle with friends and family to challenge their problem-solving skills! Just remember, as wiser individuals correctly pointed out, the correct answer is 19, not 93 or any other number that doesn't fit the given conditions.