SOLUTION: Please help with this? so confused... Mr. Tucker has some cows and chickens. If there are 60 heads and 200 legs, how many chickens does he have?

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Question 887582: Please help with this? so confused...
Mr. Tucker has some cows and chickens. If there are 60 heads and 200 legs, how many chickens does he have?
Answer by josgarithmetic(39616) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Think of the ratios of each animal to the body parts.

COWS: 4 legs per cow. 1 head per cow.
CHICKENS: 2 legs per chicken. 1 head per chicken.

The available heads and legs suggests you should account for heads and account for legs. Notice that the ratio of any animal to heads is 1 to 1, so for 60 heads, Mr. Tucker must have 60 animals, combined chickens and cows.

p = how many chickens (as in "poultry").
b = how many cows (think, "bovine").
You know highlight%28p%2Bb=60%29.

Now account for legs:
p%2A2%2Bb%2A4=200
2p%2B4b=200
highlight%28p%2B2b=100%29

Two equations in two unknowns. Finish the solution.