When you take two years away from the brother's age and add them to the big sister's, she becomes twice his age.
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Additionally, when you take three years away from the brother and give them to the sister, she becomes <span style="color:red;">three times older</span> than he is.
Let's see if we can't pare this puzzle down a bit.
When you take two years away from the brother's age and add them to the big sister's, she becomes twice his age.
Additionally, when you take three years away from the brother and give them to the sister, she becomes three times older than he is.
You could try and solve this with an algebraic equation, but that's no way to tackle a puzzle! Try to reason your way through this one.
Move two years from the brother's age, and the difference in age becomes four years. Move three years, and the difference widens to six years.
Four years makes the sister twice as old as the boy. Six years makes her three times as old.
The brother and sister were born in the same year.
Solution
Incorrect
Too bad.
For each year the brother gives to his sister, his age decreases by one.
When he loses two years, the sister becomes twice his age. When he loses three years, his sister becomes three times his age.
If you're feeling stumped, try graphing the information you have out on paper.
Correct
That's right!
US Version
The conditions in the puzzle only work out if both the brother and sister are currently six.
The two siblings must have been born within a year of each other.
UK Version
The conditions in the puzzle only work out if both the brother and sister are currently six years old.
