Final answer:
There are 140 families who own pets, representing 35% of the total number of families in Washington Heights. To find the total, divide 140 by 0.35. The total number of families in the neighborhood is 400.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you've asked is related to percentages and involves solving for the whole when given a part and its percentage. In this scenario, there are 140 families who own pets in the Washington Heights neighborhood, and this represents 35% of the total number of families. To find the total number of families, we need to set up the equation:
140 families = 35% of total families
Let x be the total number of families. Then we can express the equation as:
140 = 0.35 * x
To isolate x, you divide both sides of the equation by 0.35:
x = 140 / 0.35
By doing the division, we find the value of x which gives us:
x = 400
So, there are a total of 400 families in the Washington Heights neighborhood.