Final answer:
The veterinarian saw 16 cats in one day based on the 2 to 5 ratio of cats to dogs, given that 40 dogs were seen.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to find the number of cats seen by a veterinarian based on the given ratio of cats to dogs, which is 2 to 5. If the veterinarian saw 40 dogs in one day, we can calculate the number of cats using this ratio. To do this, we first divide the number of dogs seen (40) by the dog portion of the ratio (5).
Step 1: Calculate the value of each part of the ratio.
40 dogs ÷ 5 = 8
Step 2: Multiply the value of each part by the cat portion of the ratio (2).
8 × 2 = 16 cats
Therefore, the veterinarian saw 16 cats that day, which corresponds to option b).