Question:easy

Four people P, Q, R, and S, of different ages, make the following observations.

P: I am younger than S.
Q: I am neither the youngest nor the oldest.
R: P is older than me.

Based on these observations, the youngest person is .

Show Hint

Turn each statement into an inequality between ages, chain them together, then use Q's statement to rule out who can be at either extreme.
Updated On: Aug 17, 2026
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
Show Solution

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Try real numbers for the ages instead of just symbols.
Pick any set of four different ages that fits the clues, then read off who is youngest.
From P is younger than S, try $S = 40$ and $P = 30$.
From P is older than R (R's own statement), try $R = 20$.

Step 2: Place Q using Q's own clue.
Q says Q is neither the youngest nor the oldest of the four.
With $R = 20$, $P = 30$, $S = 40$ already fixed, Q must sit strictly between the smallest and largest of this whole group once Q is added, so Q cannot be given a value below 20 or above 40.
Pick $Q = 35$ as one valid choice, since $20 < 35 < 40$ and Q is not the extreme in either direction.

Step 3: List the ages side by side.
$R = 20$, $P = 30$, $Q = 35$, $S = 40$.
Sorted from youngest to oldest this reads R, P, Q, S.

Step 4: Check this against every statement again.
P younger than S, $30 < 40$, true.
R younger than P, $20 < 30$, true.
Q neither youngest nor oldest, Q is 35, which is not the smallest (20) or the largest (40), true.
All three statements hold with this set of numbers.

Step 5: Try a different valid set of numbers to be sure R always comes out youngest.
Try $R = 5$, $P = 6$, $S = 50$, $Q = 25$. Every statement still checks out, and sorting gives R, P, Q, S again, with R always at the bottom.
No matter which specific numbers are chosen, as long as they satisfy the three statements, R keeps landing as the smallest, because R must be less than P and Q can never be forced below R without breaking Q's own statement.

Final Answer:
Testing with actual numbers confirms R is always the youngest of the four people.
\[ \boxed{R} \]
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