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25 votes
Homework (5)

18. GEOGRAPHY In the continental United States,
the ratio of states that border an ocean to states
that do not border an ocean is 7:9. How many
of the states border an ocean?

User Paul Anderson
by
2.9k points

1 Answer

20 votes
20 votes

Answer:

28

Explanation:

Let's set the ratio as

7x : 9x

If you add all the states that border an ocean and do not, you will get 48 states (because Alaska and Hawaii are not part of the continental US, as they do not touch the "main" part of the country)

So, we can write this equation.

7x + 9x = 48

Simplify.

16x = 48

Divide both sides by 16.

x = 4

Now, find how many states border an ocean. In our ratio, the number of states that border an ocean was 7x. Substitute x = 4 into 7x

7 * x = 7 * 4 = 28

The number of states that border an ocean is 28.

I hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions!

User Kerri Shotts
by
3.3k points