How to use a math trick to guess someone's age
Guessing someone's age can be difficult. Sometimes, people may look younger or older than they actually are. However, there is a mathematical trick that can help you guess someone's age with some accuracy.
In this article, we will explain how to use this mathematical trick to guess someone's age. We will also provide you with some examples to help you better understand how the trick works.
Ready to learn? Keep reading!
The Mathematical Trick
The mathematical trick for guessing someone's age is based on a simple arithmetic operation: multiplication.
To use this trick, ask the person to think of their age and then multiply it by 2.
- For example, if the person is 25 years old, they should multiply 25 x 2 = 50.
Then, ask the person to add an even or odd number of their choice to the multiplication result.
- For example, if the person chooses the number 5, they should add 5 to 50 = 55.
Now, ask the person to divide the result by 2.
- Continuing with the previous example, the person should divide 55 / 2 = 27.5.
Now ask the person to subtract their current age from the obtained figure.
- In our example, the person will have to do: 27.5 - 25 = 2.5
The remaining figure is always equal to the number that the person initially chose (even or odd).
- In this case, the person had chosen the number 5, which is odd.
This trick works because the person's age is multiplied by 2 and then subtracted from the final result. Therefore, the even or odd number chosen by the person is maintained throughout the mathematical process.
Try this trick with your friends and family and amaze them with your ability to guess their ages!
Explanation of the Trick
The trick for guessing someone's age is based on a simple mathematical operation, namely multiplication.
Step 1: Ask your subject to think of their age
Before starting the trick, ask the person whose age you want to guess to think about their age number. Make sure they don't tell you their age out loud or in any way you can hear it.
Step 2: Multiply the number by 2
Now take the number you just got and multiply it by 2. For example, if the person thought of being 20 years old, you would have to multiply 20 x 2 = 40.
Step 3: Add 5 to the product
After multiplying the number by 2, always add 5 to the result. Using the same example of being 20 years old, we now have a new number: 40 + 5 = 45.
Step 4: Multiply the result by 50 again
Multiply this new number by 50. This step may seem strange but is necessary to make the trick work! So, in our example, we will multiply again: 45 x 50 = 2,250.
Step 5: Add the current year
Now, simply add the current year (for example, 2021) to the number obtained in the previous step. In our example, we would have: 2,250 + 2021 = 4,271.
Step 6: Guess the age!
The last digit or last two digits of the final result represent the age of the person you asked to guess! So, in our example, the person thought of the age of 20 years and the final result is 4,271, so the estimated age would be 71 years old.
Remember that this trick only works if the person you want to guess their age thinks of a number between 1 and 100. And obviously it's not a real science, but it can be fun to use as a game with friends and family!
Practical examples
To better understand how the mathematical trick to guess someone's age works, let's see some practical examples.
Example 1:
Suppose the person has chosen the number 7. We ask them to multiply it by 2, getting 14. Then we add 5 to the result, obtaining 19. Finally, we multiply by 50, obtaining 950.
We ask the person for their birth year and subtract this number from 950. Suppose the person was born in 1990: subtracting 1990 from 950 we get -1040.
Obviously the result is negative, but don't worry: this simply means that the person needs to add a century to the year they said. So if the person said they were born in 1990, they will need to add a century and say they were born in 2090.
Example 2:
Suppose instead that the person has chosen the number 4. Multiplying by two we get 8, adding 5 and obtaining 13. Multiplying by 50, we obtain 650.
The person tells us they were born in 1985: subtracting this number from 650 we get the correct result of 65.
These are just two examples, but the trick works with any number chosen by the person. The important thing is to follow the instructions carefully and do the calculations accurately.
Conclusions.
Using the mathematical trick to guess someone's age can be a fun game to play with friends and family. However, it's important to remember that it doesn't always work and asking someone their age may be considered impolite.
In any case, knowing the magic numbers of the trick can be useful in different situations, such as when creating a password or secret code.
Also remember that mathematics is a fascinating and fun science, which allows us to discover new ways to solve problems and challenges of everyday life. So don't be afraid to explore and learn new things!
Michael Anderson - Software Engineer
My name is Michael Anderson, and I work as a computer engineer in Midland, Texas.
My passion is sharing my knowledge in various areas, and my purpose is to make education accessible to everyone. I believe it is essential to explain complex concepts in a simple and interesting way.
With GlobalHowTo, I aim to motivate and enrich the minds of those who want to learn.