SOLUTION: In a ship of 30 people the sailors are 2/3 of the soldiers Find out the number of soldiers??

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Question 1111127: In a ship of 30 people the sailors are 2/3 of the soldiers
Find out the number of soldiers??
Answer by Theo(13342) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
a = number of sailors.
b = number of soldiers.

a + b = 30

sailors are 2/3 of the soldiers.

a = 2/3 * b

replace a with 2/3 * b in a + b = 30 to get:

2/3 * b + b = 30

combine like terms to get 5/3 * b = 30

multiply both sides of the equation by 3/5 to get b = 3/5 * 30

this results in b = 18.

there are 18 soldiers.

there are 2/3 * 18 = 12 sailors.

total sailors plus soldiers is 30.

your solution is 18 soldiers.