When I was 5, My Brother was 10: Decoding the Age Puzzle

This simple age puzzle can be quite misleading and often leads to incorrect answers. Let's explore the logic behind the puzzle and find out the right solution.

Understanding the Puzzle

The puzzle goes like this: When I was 5, my brother was 10. Now my brother is 40. What is my age?

Many people jump to the conclusion that my brother is always half my age. However, this is not the case. Instead, let's break down the problem step by step.

The Correct Solution

To solve the puzzle, we need to establish the age difference between us. When I was 5, my brother was 10, which means he is 5 years older than me.

Step-by-Step Calculation

Establish the age difference: (My brother is 10, I am 5)

Age difference: 10 - 5 5 years

Consider the current age of your brother: (My brother is now 40)

My age would be: 40 - 5 35

Common Mistakes

Many people make the mistake of incorrectly applying the "half my age" logic to the current age. They quickly assume that the age difference is constant, but this is not necessarily true.

For example:

If you were 10, and your brother was half your age, your brother would be 5. But when your brother becomes 50, he is not half your age. Instead, the age difference remains the same (5 years in this case).

Misconception Explained

Let's look at another example:

Example 1

When I was 5, my brother was 11. Now, my brother is 40. What is my age?

Age difference 11 - 5 6 years Now when I am 43, my brother's age 43 6 49

Example 2

When I was 3, my brother was 9. Now, my brother is 49. What is my age?

Age difference 9 - 3 6 years Now when I am 43, my brother's age 43 6 49

Conclusion

The key to solving these puzzles is to recognize that the age difference between two people remains constant throughout their lives. You can use this fact to determine the current age of one person based on the age of the other and the established age difference.

By breaking down the problem and understanding the concept of age difference, you can easily solve these types of puzzles and avoid common misconceptions.