in a pasture are horses and chickens. if there are a total of 28 heads and 80 legs, how many chickens and how many horses are in the pasture?
2006-12-19 10:43:48 · 7 answers · asked by tinkerbell03 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
You should try doing your own homework.
2006-12-19 10:51:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Assuming the horses do not mind the chickens being in the pasture running loose, there could be 12 horses and 16 chickens.
However, not all horses like chickens in their pasture, so the other option is 28 horses, since the chickens that were there could have been chased into another area outside of the field.
2006-12-19 19:06:21 · answer #2 · answered by nontatertot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let x = number of chickens
Let y = number of horses
The first equation then becomes:
x + y = 28
Since each chicken has two legs and each horse 4 legs you can develop a second equation:
2x + 4y = 80
Line up the two equations to make it easier to work with:
x + y = 28
2x + 4y = 80
What you are ultimately going to do is add both equations together. Remember you can do anything you want to an equation as long as you do it to both sides of the equation. What you are trying to do is eliminate one of the variables when you add them together (it doesn't matter which one).
In this case, to get rid of the 2x in the second equation you would need to a -2x in the first equation. Therefore, multiply every term in the first equation by -2.
-2x + -2y = -56
2x + 4y = 80
Now add the terms together to get
0x + 2y = 24
Therefore y = 12 so there are 12 horses in the pasture.
Plug the value of y into the first equation and simplify the equation. You should get 16. Check your work by multiplying x by 2 and y by 4 and add them together to see if that equals 80.
Word problems can be really tough sometime and it's easy to get blocked on them. I think it's because in textbooks, the first problem is the easiest and the last the hardest. Usually there are maybe 8 non-word problems, then the remaining problems, the harder ones, are word problems.
My two cents worth.
Good Luck!
tfedge
2006-12-19 19:16:51 · answer #3 · answered by tfedge 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
16 chickens 16x2 (legs) = 32 legs
12 horses 12x4(legs)= 48 legs
A total of 28 heads (16+12)
A total of 80 legs (32+48)
2006-12-19 18:55:29 · answer #4 · answered by pirulee 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
16 chickens and 12 horses.
2006-12-19 18:46:51 · answer #5 · answered by Arcie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
16 chickens 12 horses..
16 + 12=28
16*2=32
12*4=48
32+48=80
2006-12-19 18:48:37 · answer #6 · answered by blogaholicness 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
?????????????. Dangit ! I give up. My brain is starting to smoke.
2006-12-19 19:12:49 · answer #7 · answered by jimbobob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋