Life begins at the moment of conception... that is relevant here why? Because you can't help yourself from spouting it out? Too bad your mother didn't abort you.
There are 52 weeks in a year amanda, not 48. A month is not a perfect 4 weeks. Closer to 4.33 weeks per month. Sooo..... TECHNICALLY.... a pregnancy lasts 9 months. Just sayin...
The question is flawed in several ways and insolvable purely by logic. First, age is not a vector; even thoughyou can be less than an attosecond old, you can not be less than zero years old. Further, a child is not necessarilly conceived nine months before birth and the father need not be present at conception (sperm can live several days after ejaculation; not even counting artificial methods). It might be likely that the father is with mother but not necessary.
child = X in 6 yrs child = X + 6
mother = X + 21 mother = (x + 21)+ 6 OR 5(x+6)
x+27 = 5(x+6)
solve for x gives you -3/4 or -9 months
i got the math part but couldnt we also say that -9 months means that she is about to deliver? wont the "-" sign just mean that the baby is not yet born. once the baby is born, its technically 0 yrs and starts all over into the positive #'s. similar to a number line. i'd like to hear thoughts on this.
When a simultaneous equation leads to theolgical or ethical debates it makes me wonder if some people have really missed the point of what a puzzle is. Such constructs are devised purely for the sake of the puzzle. In some cases the wording or the scenario may confuse, but if the puzzle read "where is a child's father in relation to the child's mother at the point of conception?" then it wouldn't be a puzzle, it would be a question. And where's the fun in that...?
Cute problem. And I wholeheartedly agree with Lleyton (#25).
Note to some of the other posters above: You see, when your algebraic manipulations spit out the number -3/4, that's the part where you're supposed to suddenly realize that's 9 months in the future and chuckle as you visualize good ol' Dad rummaging through his sock drawer searching (unsuccessfully) for a condom.
Happily, logical pursuits do not require you to abandon your sense of humor. Assuming you have one. =:)
If you convert the years to months before doing any more math its pretty easy, but it should read "a mother will be 21 years older than her child"(it would probably give the answer away tho) because she is currently not 21 years older than her child, if you say life begins at conception thats fine, she would still be 20 years and 3 months older the child at conception (in the present). She WILL be 21 years older, she IS NOT now. I only bring this up, because in problems like these, the wording often needs to be taken completely literally to solve the problem.
the only way this is possible is if mommy is conceiving this baby very soon after her 21st birthday because if not then she will turn 22 before baby is born personal experiance talking
This is really stretching the imagination too far. The child is not even conceived let alone being born. What if there were to be twins or more - would the question be worded as 'child'? What if the woman can't conceive? What if the Man was impotent?
Though I got the age of child right (- 3/4 year), I dismissed it as how can anyone be less than 0 years old
Conception is actually considered the 2nd week of pregnancy. The first day of your menstral period is counted as the first day of your pregnancy. Therefore, mom was on the rag meaning dad was probably far, far away....
if the mama is 21 years older than the child would have to be 1 and the mama would be 24 because in exactly 6 years she would be 5 times older than her which that means the child would have to be 6 or 7 depending on her birthday.
how does wheres the father fit into the question? i dont get it? am i the only one that doesnt understand why it says wheres the father? its like saying "a son is 3 quarters the age of his mother. wheres his pants?" this question is BS
guys that is so cross the father cannot be the child that is so gross and this problem does not even seem accurate and everything and if the baby is born early or late then well its born that way and you cant do anything about it!!!!! you all are taking this way to seriously!!!!
all im gonna say is wat? becuz i go 2 a catholic school and my teacher gave me this question to do, and im gonna guess that eighter she didnt read all the questions and answers before hand or that the answer to the question where is the father, was not the ones given above.
"A mother is 21 years older than her child. In exactly 6 years from now, the mother will be exactly 5 times as old as the child.
Where's the father?"
Missed the point:
The problem didn't ask for where or when the father did something (here in the problem). Literally, the problem just asks where the father is.
This logic puzzle is designed for the solver to set up the equations and do them before attempting the rest of the question. But the trick is that the math (as shown in several previous posts, I won't bother) spits out an age of -3/4 years or -9 months. It is at this point the solver should realize it takes 9 months for a pregnancy to run it's course, and further realize that the father must be with the mother. The solver should now feel silly as he has deduced the fact that two people are making love!
Don't think too hard people! It is a joke, and the humor lies in the sudden realization of something unexpected!
Definition of Humor:
An alternative (or surprising) shift in perception or answer is given that still shows relevance and can explain a situation.
i didnt do the math, but assuming that everyone is correct and the answer is that the baby is -9 months old, then obviously the mother and father are making love at the time... not rocket science
This is a good problem, but I should have worked it out before giving it to my high school class, I had a hard time explaining the answer! LOL.
I did figure it out and thought it was very cute and got a chuckle out of it.
You can pick apart any of these problems if you want to, the whole point to them is to see them in the spirit of how the question was conceived (pardon the pun).
then
X = Y+21 ...................(1)
in 6 years time:
X + 6 = 5 (Y+6)
thus, x = 5Y + 24..............(2)
from (1) and (2)
4Y + 3 = 0
thus Y (the child's age)= -3/4 = (i.e minus 3 qourters of the complete year= minus 9 months!!)
you got a point there.
mother = X + 21 mother = (x + 21)+ 6 OR 5(x+6)
x+27 = 5(x+6)
solve for x gives you -3/4 or -9 months
i got the math part but couldnt we also say that -9 months means that she is about to deliver? wont the "-" sign just mean that the baby is not yet born. once the baby is born, its technically 0 yrs and starts all over into the positive #'s. similar to a number line. i'd like to hear thoughts on this.
the father is inside the mother
dont get technical and rip it all apart.
x
The Father
gsup
Note to some of the other posters above: You see, when your algebraic manipulations spit out the number -3/4, that's the part where you're supposed to suddenly realize that's 9 months in the future and chuckle as you visualize good ol' Dad rummaging through his sock drawer searching (unsuccessfully) for a condom.
Happily, logical pursuits do not require you to abandon your sense of humor. Assuming you have one. =:)
Though I got the age of child right (- 3/4 year), I dismissed it as how can anyone be less than 0 years old
Well done.
But a funny puzzle, none the less!
Where's the father?"
Missed the point:
The problem didn't ask for where or when the father did something (here in the problem). Literally, the problem just asks where the father is.
Conclusion:
So what's with the math?
Don't think too hard people! It is a joke, and the humor lies in the sudden realization of something unexpected!
Definition of Humor:
An alternative (or surprising) shift in perception or answer is given that still shows relevance and can explain a situation.
I did figure it out and thought it was very cute and got a chuckle out of it.
You can pick apart any of these problems if you want to, the whole point to them is to see them in the spirit of how the question was conceived (pardon the pun).