Maths equation

Question

Paul counted 44 animal legs. Five of the animals are goats, the rest are an equal number of ducks amd pigs.  How many number of ducks amd pigs there are?

Answer 1

Here's what we know:

5 * 4 = 20, so 20 legs are goat legs

44 - 20 = 24, so 24 legs are ducks and pigs

p = d (there are the same number of pigs as there are ducks)

2d + 4p = 24 (the leg count of ducks and pigs add up to 24)

 

Let's use substitution here, and replace d with p since they equal one another:

2p + 4p = 24

6p = 24

Divide by 6:

p = 4

 

Check:

2 * 4 + 4 * 4 = 24

8 + 16 = 24

24 = 24