Final answer:
To find the total number of people at the school play, set up an equation with the given information. Solve for the total number of people using algebraic steps.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to find how many people were at the school play, we need to determine the total number of people at the play. We are given that 42 of the people at the play were children, which accounted for 35% of the total. Let's set up an equation to solve for the total number of people.
Let x be the total number of people at the play. We know that 42 is 35% of x, so we can write the equation:
42 = 0.35x
To solve for x, divide both sides of the equation by 0.35:
x = 42 / 0.35 = 120
Therefore, there were 120 people at the school play.