November 2022
Problem of the Month

Carol Pleacher




Answer the questions below given the following clues about Carol's life.

1. Carol lived 6.6% of her life before going to school.
2. Then she went to school for 22.4% of her life.
3. Immediately after graduation from Hartwick College, she married her husband David.
4. She taught math for 3.9% of her life until her daughter Elizabeth was born.
5. After another 7.9% of her life, her daughter Sarah was born.

6. Her son Michael was born 2/3 of the way between her two daughters' births.
7. Twenty-one years passed between the birth of Sarah and the birth of her first grandson James.
8. Her granddaughter Carrie was born two years after James.
9. Carol lived 1/4 of her life from James' birth until Carrie's death.
10. Carol lived 1/19 of her life from the birth of Carrie until the births of her grandchildren Kate and Jackson.

11. Carol lived 2/19 of her life between the birth of James and the birth of grandson Ben.
12. Another 1/19 of her life passed between Ben's birth and grandson Stewart's birth.
13. Granddaughter Libby was born five years after Stewart's birth.
14. James died two years after Carrie died.
15. Carol passed away three years after James' death.



How old was Carol in the year when the following events occurred?

1. Carol's death _______
2. Carol's wedding _______
3. Liz's birth _______
4. Sarah's birth _______
5. Michael's birth _______

6. Ben's birth _______
7. Libby's birth _______
8. Kate's and Jackson's births _______
9. Stewart's birth _______

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If you would like to learn more about Carol, click on the links below:

Link to photos of Carol
Link to Carol's obituary



The solution is:

1. Carol's death: 76
2. Carol's wedding: 22
3. Liz's birth: 25
4. Sarah's birth: 31
5. Michael's birth: 29

6. Ben's birth: 60
7. Libby's birth: 69
8. Kate's and Jackson's births: 58
9. Stewart's birth: 64

Let x = age of Carol at her death.

Then you can write the following equation from the clues:

.066x + .224x + .039x +.079x + 21 +
1/4 x + 2 + 3 = x

Solving, we get .658x + 26 = x

So x = 76.




Correctly solved by:

1. Colin (Yowie) Bowey Beechworth, Victoria, Australia
2. K. Sengupta Calcutta, India
3. Ritwik Chaudhuri Santiniketan, West Bengal, India
4. Ivy Joseph Pune, Maharashtra, India
5. Jasmine Hernandez Central High School,
Grand Junction, Colorado
6. Dr. Hari Kishan D.N. College,
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
7. Luis Banuelas Central High School,
Grand Junction, Colorado
8. Austin Hale Central High School,
Grand Junction, Colorado
9. Esten Gustafson Central High School,
Grand Junction, Colorado
10. Kamdyn Hurdsman Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
11. Kelly Stubblefield Mobile, Alabama
12. Delia Figlosi Seattle, Washington
13. Diana and Craig Chastain Fort Collins, Colorado


Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher