Father–son age total after 5 years: A son is 25 years younger than his father. The father was 45 four years ago. What will be the total of their ages after 5 years?

Introduction / Context:
Determine the present ages first, then project forward by 5 years and add. Translate “was 45 four years ago” correctly into “is 49 now.” Apply the 25-year difference to obtain the son’s current age.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Father 4 years ago = 45 ⇒ Father now = 49
• Son now = Father now − 25 = 24
• Find (Father + Son) after 5 years

Concept / Approach:
After 5 years, add 5 to each current age and sum them. Alternatively, add 10 to the present total since two people each gain 5 years.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Present total is 73; adding 10 (5 each) gives 83, consistent.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
82, 88, 78 do not match the correctly computed sum after 5 years.

Common Pitfalls:
Using “was 45 four years ago” as the present age or subtracting 25 from 45 instead of from 49.

Final Answer:
83 years