Question

The elves and reindeer are

getting ready for a meeting with
Santa. 15 of them have arrived
so far. If they have 40 legs
between them, how many elves
are at the meeting and how
many reindeer are at the
meeting?
G

Answer 1

• 10 elves and 5 reindeer

Explanation:

Let the number of elves be x and reindeer be y, then we have equations:

• x + y = 15
• 2x + 4y = 40

Simplify the second equation and subtract the first one:

• x + 2y = 20
• (x + 2y) - (x + y) = 20 - 15
• y = 5

Then find x:

• x = 15 - 5 = 10

10 elves and 5 reindeer at the meeting