Question

If an island's only residents are penguins and bears, and if there are 16 heads and 34 feet on the island, how many penguins and how many bears are on the island?

Answer 1

To find the number of penguins and bears on the island, we can use algebra to solve the given equations.

Step-by-step explanation:

Let's say there are x penguins and y bears on the island. Each penguin has 2 feet and each bear has 4 feet. So, the total number of penguin feet would be 2x and the total number of bear feet would be 4y.

According to the information given, there are 16 heads on the island. Since each animal has one head, the total number of animals would be x + y = 16.

Also, according to the information given, there are 34 feet on the island. So, 2x + 4y = 34.

We can now solve these two equations simultaneously to find the values of x and y.

x + y = 16

2x + 4y = 34

Solving these equations, we get x = 6 and y = 10. Therefore, there are 6 penguins and 10 bears on the island.