Question

The local zoo nurses 15 species of cats. Last week, several species of cats were moved to other zoos due to lack of funding. The zoo now nurses only 7

species.
Let x represent the number of cats.
Which equation models the scenario?
x 7 = 15
x + 7 = 15
15 + x = 7
15-x = 7

Answer 1

The equation 15 - x = 7 models the scenario because it represents the decrease in the number of cats that the zoo now nurses. It can be read as "15 (the number of cats originally) minus x (the number of cats moved) equals 7 (the number of cats the zoo now nurses)".