Ayesha's father was 38 when she was born. Her mother was 36 when her brother (4 years younger than Ayesha) was born. What is the age difference between her parents?

Problem restatementTranslate birth-time ages into present ages using Ayesha's and her brother's age difference to find the parents' age difference.

Given data

• Father's age at Ayesha's birth = 38.
• Mother's age at brother's birth = 36.
• Brother is 4 years younger than Ayesha.

Concept/ApproachLet Ayesha be a years old now. Then her father is a + 38 now. Her brother is (a − 4) now; therefore the mother is (36 + (a − 4)) = a + 32 now.

Step-by-step calculation Father's present age = a + 38 Mother's present age = a + 32 Difference = (a + 38) − (a + 32) = 6

VerificationThe variable a cancels, so the difference is fixed at 6 years regardless of the children's current ages.

Final Answer6 years