Question

At the zoo there were 5 times as many seals as polar bears.Sue counted a total of 42 seals and polar bears.How many seals were at the zoo?

Answer 1

so you would take 42 and times it by 5 so it would look like 42x5. The answer would be 210

Answer 2

s=seals
p=polar bears
5p=s

42=p+s
substitute s for 5p (since 5p=s)
42=p+5p
42=6p
divide both sides by 6
7=p

There are 7 polar bears at the zoo

so

42-7=35seals

Answer=35seals