SOLUTION: write an equation for the problems and solve : In a class of 42 students, the number of boys is 12 fewer than twice the number of girls. Find the number of boys and girls.

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Question 886758: write an equation for the problems and solve : In a class of 42 students, the number of boys is 12 fewer than twice the number of girls. Find the number of boys and girls.
Answer by Theo(13342) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
leb b represent the number of boys.
let g represent the number of girls.

your formulas are:
b = 2g - 12
b + g = 42

replace b with 2g - 12 to get:
2g - 12 + g = 42
simplify to get:
3g - 12 = 42
add 12 to both sides of the equation to get:
3g = 54
divide both sides of the equation by 3 to get:
g = 18
since b = 2g - 12, this means that:
b = 24

you have 24 boys and 18 girls.
the total is 42 students.
the number of boys is equal to 12 fewer than 2 times the girls.
this is because 2 times the girls is 36 and 12 fewer than that is 24.