SOLUTION: Billy bob says he has 8 times as many sisters as brothers. Bobbie sue (billy bob's sister) says the number of her brothers is equal to the number of her sisters minus 5. How many b

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Question 964219: Billy bob says he has 8 times as many sisters as brothers. Bobbie sue (billy bob's sister) says the number of her brothers is equal to the number of her sisters minus 5. How many boys and girls are in the family?
Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) About Me  (Show Source):
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Billy bob says he has 8 times as many sisters as brothers.
Bobbie sue (billy bob's sister) says the number of her brothers is equal to the number of her sisters minus 5.
How many boys and girls are in the family?
:
let b = no. of boys
lest s = no. of girls
:
"Billy bob says he has 8 times as many sisters as brothers."
s = 8(b-1)
s = 8b - 8
"Bobbie sue (billy bob's sister) says the number of her brothers is equal to the number of her sisters minus 5."
b = s - 1 - 5
b = s - 6
:
replace b in the 1st equation with (s-6)
s = 8(s-6) - 8
s = 8s - 48 - 8
s - 8s = -56
-7s = -56
s = -56/-7
s = 8 girls
then
b = 8 - 6
b = 2 boys
:
see if that works in the statment (Bill has 1 brother)
"Billy bob says he has 8 times as many sisters as brothers." 8*1 = 8 sisters
:
and Bobbies has 7 sisters
"Bobbie sue (billy bob's sister) says the number of her brothers is equal to the number of her sisters minus 5." two brothers