Final answer:
The initial number of oranges on MacDonald's farm before removing 5 oranges was 41,790. To find this, the equation t + 5 = 41,795 was used, where t represents the total number of oranges before removal. Subtracting 5 yields t = 41,790, which is the initial count of oranges.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the initial number of orange trees (t) on MacDonald's farm, we need to create an equation reflecting the relationship between the total harvest and the number of oranges removed at the beginning of the season. Since MacDonald had to remove 5 oranges for the total harvest to be 41,790 oranges, the equation representing this situation would be:
t + 5 = 41,795
The number 41,795 is obtained by adding the 5 removed oranges back to the total harvest. To solve for t, the initial number of orange trees, we simply subtract 5 from 41,795:
t = 41,795 - 5
t = 41,790
So the initial number of oranges before removal was 41,790. Note that the question seems to be slightly ambiguous, as it's unclear whether t refers to the number of orange trees or the total number of oranges. Assuming it refers to the total number of oranges, the equation above gives the solution. If t actually referred to the number of trees, additional information would be needed to calculate t, such as the average number of oranges per tree.