SOLUTION: A biologist collected 188 fern and moss samples. There were 12 fewer ferns than moss samples. How many fern samples did the biologist collect?

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Question 564326: A biologist collected 188 fern and moss samples. There were 12 fewer ferns than moss samples. How many fern samples did the biologist collect?
Answer by ad_alta(240) About Me  (Show Source):
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Let 'f' be the number of fern samples and 'm' the number of moss samples. We know f+m=188. Also, m-12=f. Substituting, 2m-12=188. Thus, m=100 and f=88.