SOLUTION: Yesterday there were 5 times as many girls as boys in Miss Miriam's preschool. Today 4 more boys joined the preschool. Now there are 3 times as many girls as boys. How many chil

Question 152592: Yesterday there were 5 times as many girls as boys in Miss Miriam's preschool. Today 4 more boys joined the preschool. Now there are 3 times as many girls as boys. How many children are now attending the preschool?
So far I know that if you let "b" equal boys and "g" equal girls the first equation is 5b=g. I also know that I am looking for "x" the total amount of children in the school or b+g=x. I am not sure where the 4 additional boys come in or how to make the equations equal so that I can solve them. I really would appreciate your help!
Answer by Earlsdon(6294) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Ok, you got a good start!
Let b = number of boys yesterday and (b+4) = the number of boys today and g = number of girls (This didn't change).
Yesterday: g = 5b
Today: g = 3(b+4)
Since g = g, then;
5b = 3(b+4) Apply the distributive property on the right side.
5b = 3b+12 Subtract 3b from both sides.
2b = 12 Divide both sides by 2.
b = 6
So, yesterday, there were 6 boys plus 5*(6) girls for a total of 36 children.
Today, there are 6+4 = 10 boys and 3*10 = 30 girls for a total 40 children.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Hi The number of boys was 5 times the number of girls at first. When an equal number of... (answered by josgarithmetic)

Dakota has 15 students in her preschool class, with a 2:3 ratio of boys to girls. Her... (answered by josgarithmetic)

There are 3 times as many boys as girls in a room. If 4 boys and four girls leave the... (answered by MathTherapy)

At a local preschool there is a ratio of 3 boys to every 4 girls. If there are 245 kids... (answered by addingup)

Last year the ratio of the number of boys to the number of girls in the computer club was (answered by Fombitz)

In a class of 45, there were 4 times as many as girls. When some girls left for a... (answered by ikleyn)

Tutors, please help me solve this problem: A group of 25 preschool boys and 11... (answered by reviewermath)

In a group of men, women, boys, and girls, there were 10 more men than boys and 5 more... (answered by Edwin McCravy)