Question

An animal shelter spends $1.50 per day to care for each bird and $8.50 per day to care for each cat. Alexander noticed that the shelter spent $108.00 caring for birds and cats on Tuesday. Alexander found a record showing that there were a total of 30 birds and cats on Tuesday. How many birds were at the shelter on Tuesday?

Answer 1

To find the number of birds at the shelter on Tuesday, we set up a system of equations and solve them using the substitution method. There were 21 birds at the shelter on Tuesday.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the number of birds at the shelter on Tuesday, we need to set up a system of equations. Let's assume there were x birds and y cats at the shelter. From the given information, we can create the following equations:

1. x + y = 30 (total number of birds and cats)
2. 1.50x + 8.50y = 108 (total amount spent caring for birds and cats)

To solve this system, we can use the substitution or elimination method. Let's solve it using the substitution method:

1. Solve the first equation for x: x = 30 - y
2. Substitute this expression for x in the second equation: 1.50(30 - y) + 8.50y = 108
3. Simplify and solve for y: 45 - 1.50y + 8.50y = 108
4. Combine like terms: 7y = 63
5. Divide both sides by 7: y = 9

So, there were 9 cats at the shelter on Tuesday. To find the number of birds, substitute this value of y into the first equation: x + 9 = 30. Solving for x, we get x = 21. Therefore, there were 21 birds at the shelter on Tuesday.