Question

Many insects migrate (travel) between their summer and winter homes. The desert locust migrates about 800 miles farther than the monarch butterfly every spring, and the pink-spotted hawk moth migrates about 200 miles less than four times the distance of the monarch butterfly every spring. Laid end to end, the distances traveled by a monarch butterfly, a desert locust, and a pink-spotted hawk moth is about 12,600 miles every spring. How far does each species travel?

Make a plan. What does this last part of the problem suggest that we do with these unknowns?

Answer 1

Monarch = 2000

Desert locust = 2200

Pink-spotted hawk = 7800

Explanation:

Let us assume that x is the monarch

y is the desert locust and z is the pink-spotted hawk

x + x + 800 + 4x - 200 = 12600

6x + 600 = 12600

6x = 12000

x = 2000

y = 2200

z = 7800

so

Monarch = 2000

Desert locust = 2200

Pink-spotted hawk = 7800