Rajan got married 8 years ago. His present age is $\frac{6}{5}$ times his age at the time of his marriage. Rajan's sister was 10 years younger to him at the time of his marriage. The age of Rajan's sister is
Aptitude
Problems on Ages
Difficulty: Medium
Choose an option
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A32 years
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B36 years
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C38 years
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D40 years
Answer
Correct Answer: 38 years
Explanation
### Concept & Strategy
There are two critical principles at play here:
1. Formulating an equation that connects present age and a past life event using a fractional multiplier.
2. The core rule of age problems: **Age difference between two individuals is permanent and constant.** If a sister was $10$ years younger a decade ago, she is still exactly $10$ years younger today.
### Step-by-Step Solution
* **Given:**
* Married $8$ years ago.
* Present Age = $\frac{6}{5} \times$ (Age at Marriage)
* Sister is $10$ years younger.
* **Calculation / Deduction:**
* Let Rajan's present age be $x$.
* His age at the time of his marriage ($8$ years ago) was $x - 8$.
* Set up the fractional equation as given in the problem:
* $$x = \frac{6}{5}(x - 8)$$
* $$5x = 6(x - 8)$$
* $$5x = 6x - 48$$
* $$x = 48$$
* Rajan's present age is $48$ years.
* His sister is $10$ years younger than him. This gap remains constant throughout their entire lives.
* Sister's present age = $48 - 10 = 38$ years.
### Exam Strategy & Shortcut
Analyze the fraction $\frac{6}{5}$ directly.
This means Present Age is $6$ ratio parts, and Marriage Age is $5$ ratio parts.
The difference between these states is exactly $1$ ratio part.
This $1$ part represents the actual time passed since the marriage, which is $8$ years.
Therefore, $1 \text{ part} = 8 \text{ years}$.
Rajan's present age is $6 \text{ parts} = 6 \times 8 = 48$ years.
Sister's present age = $48 - 10 = 38$ years.
### Common Pitfall
Students often overcomplicate finding the sister's age. They calculate Rajan's past marriage age ($40$), find the sister's past marriage age ($30$), and then add the $8$ years back to get the present age ($38$). While technically correct, recognizing that the gap is permanent bypasses these extra steps entirely.
### Final Answer
**Therefore, the correct answer is 38 years.**