A mother is currently three times older than her daughter was two years ago. In twelve years, the mother will be exactly twice the age her daughter will be then. How old is the mother today?
44 years old
Letting M and D be their current ages: M - 2 = 3(D - 2) and M + 12 = 2(D + 12). Solving this linear system gives D = 16 and M = 44.
About this riddle
Math riddles hide a calculation inside a short story. Pull out the numbers, work out what is being asked, and watch for a trick such as a unit change.
Difficulty: Medium. More like this: Math riddles with answers or try Target 24 for a different kind of puzzle.
More math riddles
I am a two-digit number. Dividing me by the sum of my digits yields a quotient of 7 with no remainder. If you subtract 27 from me, my digits switch places. What number am I?
I am a three-digit number whose digits strictly increase from left to right. My hundreds digit is prime, my tens digit is a perfect square, and my ones digit is the cube of a prime number. If the sum of my digits is 15, what number am I?
One egg costs 2 dollars. How many dollars do 8 eggs cost?
A wall clock strikes once at 1 o'clock, twice at 2 o'clock, and so on. How many total strikes does it make in a single 24-hour day?
Lily counts parade floats in a pattern: 5, 7, 9, 11. How many parade floats come next?
If you add 12 to me, divide the sum by 3, and then subtract 2, you end up with 6. What number am I?