document.write( "Question 54702: I need to know how many cats and witches are out in this problem. I know that the number of legs was 3.5 times the number of heads and the total number of heads and legs are 72. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #36935 by stanbon(75887)\"\" \"About 
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I need to know how many cats and witches are out in this problem. I know that the number of legs was 3.5 times the number of heads and the total number of heads and legs are 72.
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\n" ); document.write( "Let \"c\" be the number of cats.
\n" ); document.write( "#of heads on these cats is \"c heads\"
\n" ); document.write( "# of legs on these cats is \"4c legs\"
\n" ); document.write( "----------
\n" ); document.write( "Let \"w\" be the number of witches.
\n" ); document.write( "# of heads on these witches is \"w heads\"
\n" ); document.write( "# of legs on these witches is \"2w legs\"
\n" ); document.write( "--------------
\n" ); document.write( "Total # of heads is c+w
\n" ); document.write( "Total # of legs is 4c+2w
\n" ); document.write( "EQUATIONS:
\n" ); document.write( "1st: 4c+2w = 3.5(c+w)
\n" ); document.write( "2nd: 4c+2w+c+w=72
\n" ); document.write( "Simplify 1st and 2nd as follows:
\n" ); document.write( "3rd: 0.5c-1.5w=0
\n" ); document.write( "4th: 5c+3w=72
\n" ); document.write( "---------------
\n" ); document.write( "Multiply 3rd by 10 to get:
\n" ); document.write( "5th: 5c-15w=0
\n" ); document.write( "Subtract 5th from 4th to get:
\n" ); document.write( "18w=72
\n" ); document.write( "w=4 (this is the number of witches)
\n" ); document.write( "Substitute in 5th solve for # of cats, as follows:
\n" ); document.write( "5c-15(4)=0
\n" ); document.write( "5c=60
\n" ); document.write( "c=12 (this is the number of cats)
\n" ); document.write( "Cheers,
\n" ); document.write( "Stan H. \n" ); document.write( "
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