document.write( "Question 1092717: If you have 23 heads and 72 total legs, How many cows and roosters do you have? I have already tried 12 cows to get 48 legs and then had 11 roosters to add 22 legs. (A cow has 4 legs and a rooster has 2) \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #707327 by ikleyn(52847)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! If you have 23 heads and 72 total legs, How many cows and roosters do you have? \n" ); document.write( "(A cow has 4 legs and a rooster has 2) \n" ); document.write( "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You can solve this problem in three different ways. \n" ); document.write( "If you are familiar with systems of linear equations, you can reduce the problem to the system of two linear equations in two unknowns and solve it. \n" ); document.write( "This way is implemented in the Solution 1 below. \n" ); document.write( "You can also reduce the problem to one equation with one unknown and solve it. This is done in the Solution 2 below. \n" ); document.write( "Alternatively, you can solve the problem simply applying logical reasoning and not using equations at all. This is done in the Solution 3 below.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Solution 1\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let x be the number of cows and y be the number of roosters at the farm. \n" ); document.write( "If you count the heads you get the equation \n" ); document.write( "x + y = 23. \n" ); document.write( "If you count the legs you get the equation \n" ); document.write( "4x + 2y = 72.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So you have the system of two equations with two unknowns \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To solve this system of equations multiply the first equation by 2 and subtract the obtained equation from the second one. \n" ); document.write( "You will get, step by step, \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "4x - 2x = 72 - 46, \n" ); document.write( "2x = 26, \n" ); document.write( "x = 13.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So, there are 13 cows in the farm. \n" ); document.write( "Hence, the number of roosters is 23 - 13 = 10.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let us check the total number of legs. You have altogether \n" ); document.write( "4*13 + 2*10 = 52 + 20 = 72 legs.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer. There are 13 cows and 10 roosters at the farm.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Solution 2\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let x be the number of cows at a farm. \n" ); document.write( "Then the number of roosters is 23 - x in accordance with the condition. \n" ); document.write( "If you count the legs you get the equation \n" ); document.write( "4x + 2*(23-x) = 72.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To solve this equation open the brackets and combine like terms, step by step: \n" ); document.write( "4x + 2*23 - 2x = 72, \n" ); document.write( "2x + 46 = 72, \n" ); document.write( "2x = 72 - 46, \n" ); document.write( "2x = 26, \n" ); document.write( "x = 13.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So, there are 13 cows at the farm. \n" ); document.write( "Hence, the number of roosters is 23 - 13 = 10.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let us check the total number of legs. You have altogether \n" ); document.write( "4*13 + 2*10 = 52 + 20 = 72 legs.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You get the same answer as in the Solution 1.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer. There are 13 cows and 10 roosters at the farm.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Solution 3\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let us suppose for a moment that all the animals at the farm have two legs each. \n" ); document.write( "Under this assumption, the total number of legs is 23*2 = 46 legs.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This number is 26 = 72 - 46 less than 72 legs given by condition. \n" ); document.write( "Certainly, these 26 legs belong to cows in the number of 2 legs to each cow (in addition to that two legs we just counted under the assumption). \n" ); document.write( "This means that the number of cows is 26/2 = 13. \n" ); document.write( "Hence, the number of roosters is 23 - 13 = 10.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "You get the same answer as in the solutions 1 and 2 above.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Answer. There are 13 cows and 10 roosters at the farm.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This kind of problems are traditionally considered as entertainment problems. \n" ); document.write( "And they traditionally are used to show the students all three approaches.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "To see more similar problems of this kind and their solutions, look into the lessons \r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " - Problem on animals at a farm (*)\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " - Problem on two-wheel and three-wheel bicycles \r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " - Problem on pills in containers and\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " - What type of problems are these? \r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "in this site.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice that the lesson (*) has practically identical problem. \n" ); document.write( "It is because of tradition again. \n" ); document.write( "For this post, I simply made the global replacement \"rabbits ---> cows\" and \"turkey ---> roosters\" in that text file \n" ); document.write( "(and changed the numbers respectively).\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Ha-ha-ha.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " H a p p y l e a r n i n g ! !\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |