SOLUTION: Pedro has 209 mango trees and star apple trees.If he had 23 more mangoes and 18 fewer star apple trees,the number of mango trees would equal the number of star apple trees. How m

Algebra ->  Customizable Word Problem Solvers  -> Finance -> SOLUTION: Pedro has 209 mango trees and star apple trees.If he had 23 more mangoes and 18 fewer star apple trees,the number of mango trees would equal the number of star apple trees. How m      Log On

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Question 905770: Pedro has 209 mango trees and star apple trees.If he had 23 more mangoes and 18 fewer star apple trees,the number of mango trees would equal the number of star apple trees. How many mango trees does he have?( answer is 84 show your solution)
Answer by Theo(13342) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
m = number of mango trees.
s = number of star apple trees.

m + s = 209

if he had 23 more mangoes and 18 fewer star apple trees, the number of mango trees would be equal to the number of start apple trees.

m + 23 = s - 18

solve for m to get:

m = s - 41

replace m with s - 41 in the equation of m + s = 209 to get s - 41 + s = 209

combine like terms to gert 2s - 41 = 209

add 41 to both sides of this equation to get 2s = 250

divide both sides of this equation by 2 to get s = 125

in the equation of m + s = 209, replace s with 125 to get:

m + 125 = 209

subtract 125 from both sides of this equation to get:

m = 209 - 125 which becomes m = 84

your solution is that m = 84 and s = 125

add 23 to 84 and you get m + 23 = 107

subtract 18 from 125 and you get s = 107

everything check out so your solution is:

number of mango trees is 84.
number of star apple trees is 125.