175k views
9 votes
A farmer saw some chickens and pigs in a field. He counted 45 heads and 146 legs. Determine exactly how many chickens and pigs he saw.

User Sefirosu
by
7.9k points

1 Answer

12 votes

Answers:

17 chickens and 28 pigs

=======================================================

Step-by-step explanation:

c = number of chickens

p = number of pigs

There are 45 heads, so c+p = 45. This solves to p = 45-c.

Since chickens have 2 legs and pigs have 4, this means there are 2c legs from all the chickens and 4p legs from all the pigs. In total there are 2c+4p legs.

Set this equal to 146 to get the second equation

2c+4p = 146

Then plug in p = 45-c and solve for c

2c+4p = 146

2c+4(45-c) = 146

2c+180-4c = 146

-2c+180 = 146

-2c = 146-180

-2c = -34

c = -34/(-2)

c = 17

There are 17 chickens.

p = 45-c

p = 45-17

p = 28

And there are 28 pigs.

------------------

Check:

c+p = 17+28 = 45 heads

2c+4p = 2*17+4*28 = 34+112 = 146 legs

The answers are confirmed.

User Thuraya
by
8.5k points
Welcome to QAmmunity.org, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of our community.

9.4m questions

12.2m answers

Categories