fractions in word problems

Question

In Algebra 1 I am given the following problem:

 

A hurricane destroyed 2/7 of the trees in a national forest. If 28,154 trees were destroyed, how many trees had been in the forest prior to the hurricane? 

Please help me.

Answer 1

James, we can set up a proportion

 

2/7 = 28154/x

 

where x = the number of trees in the forest prior to the hurricane

 

Cross multiply to obtain:

 

2x = 7(28154)

 

2x = 197078

 

x = 98539 trees