Final answer:
To solve the problem, we set up an equation where P represents the number of plum trees. Solving 2P + 8 = 54, we find that there are 23 plum trees and, consequently, 31 apple trees in the yard.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to determine the number of apple trees and plum trees in a yard, given that there are a total of 54 trees and 8 more apple trees than plum trees.
Let's denote the number of plum trees as P. Therefore, the number of apple trees will be P + 8. The total number of trees is the sum of the apple trees and plum trees which equals 54.
So we have the equation:
P + (P + 8) = 54
Combining like terms, we get:
2P + 8 = 54
To find the value of P, we subtract 8 from both sides:
2P = 54 - 8
2P = 46
And now we divide both sides by 2:
P = 23
Therefore, there are 23 plum trees. To find the number of apple trees, we add 8 to the number of plum trees:
23 + 8 = 31
So, there are 31 apple trees in the yard.