When 8-year-old Samantha visited Santa at the local department store, the old man
posed a riddle to her. He said, “I started work when I was 13. I spent 1/6 of my
working life in a factory, then 1/4 of my working life in an office, and then 1/6 of my
working life as a school caretaker. Then for the last 32 years of my working life I’ve
been Santa Claus. How old am I?

• let work life be x
  so age is x+13
  x-[x/6+x/4+x/6]=32
  
  which gives x= 76.8 yrs or approx 77yrs.
  so age is x+13
  
  i.e 77+13= 90 yrs
  
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(36) No(7)
• all the above ans are wrong.
  the correct ans is:
  
  let the total number of working years be x.
  then
  x/6+x/4+x/6+32=x
  solving this we get the value of x as 77(approx).
  therefore the age of santa is 77+13=90
  90 is the correct answer.
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(21) No(3)
• @DEBALINA DEY :
  
  Your approach is correct but You must add 13 to this add as 13 is also counted in the age.
  
  13+(x-13)/6+(x-13)/4+(x-13)/6+32=x
  
  Where x is his total age ( Note : He is taking fractions of his working life.)
  
  So... X= 89.2 ANS.
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(17) No(8)
• 1/6+1/4+1/6=7/12
  
  1-7/12=5/12
  5/12x=32
  x=78.8
  total age=78.8+13
  =89.8(90 approx)
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(7) No(0)
• i think answer will be 108
  let the present age of the old man is x
  13+x/6+x/4+x/6+32=x
  x=108
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(6) No(11)
• http://mamsmathchallenge.wikispaces.com/file/view/How+old+is+Santa+Packet.pdf
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(4) No(1)
• 109 yrs
  as 96+13=109
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(3) No(2)
• LET THE WORKING AGE OF THE OLD MAN BE X.
  THEN ACCORDING TO QUESTION HE HAD SPEND 1/6,1/4,1/6 OF HIS AGE IN FACTORY,OFFICE AND SCHOOL CARETAKER.SO,
  X-(1/6+1/4+1/6)X=15x/36
  now rest of working life as santa so,
  15x/36=32
  x=76.5
  total life 76.5+13=89.5
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(2) No(0)
• There can be plenty of approaches to solve this problem. Some of them have been discussed in the solution already. I am providing another substitute for the same which can be solved in less time, with less computations involved.
  Consider the sum of the fractions of the working life of shopkeeper ie 1/6+1/4+1/6=20/120+30/120+20/120=7/120.
  Method:Break them into respective portions, so that it basically forms a proper portion of the fraction(you can reduce the fractions with other combinations also). Reduce the fractions such that they result in the same denominator.
  So subtracting the numerator and denominator results in 50/deno=50/120 is what we get.
  For the last 32 working years the shopkeeper has been a santa claus.
  So the fraction of time for which he has been a santa claus=120/50*32=76.8 years=77 yrs(approx)
  Since the shopkeeper started working when he was 13, so 77+13=90(ANS)
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(2) No(0)
• i think the answer will be 58.6
  let the age of the old man is x
  (x-13)/6+(x-13)/4+(x-13)/6+32=x
  so x=58.6
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(1) No(4)
• let working days=x
  nw 1/6th of workng days+1/4th working day +1/6 working day+32
  we will also add 13
  so 13+32+1/6x+1/4x+1/6x=x
  108 is correct ans..
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(1) No(2)
• NOW 89.8==90YEARS
  
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(1) No(0)
• please explain your answer
  
• 10 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(1)
• 13+(x/6+x/4+x/6)+32=x
  ans is 108
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(4)
• 60 because his age mention is 32
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(2)
• I need full tcs placement papers mail me geethageetha938@gmail.com
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(2)
• let x =total present age of old man
  working age of old man=x-12.
  1/6(x-12)+1/4(x-12)+1/6(x-12)+32=x
  on solving
  5x=384-84
  x=60
  so the age of old man is 60 years.
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(0)
• x=89.8, and
  x=13+32+2*(x-13)/6+(x-13)/4;
  hence, x=89.8
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(1)
• great man living till at 98
• 9 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(0)
• let x be the total age
  then
  x/6+x/6+x/4+32=x
  x~=77
  total age 77+13=90
• 7 years agoHelpfull: Yes(0) No(0)