A farmhouse shelters 16 animals, some are pigs, and some are ducks. Altogether there are 42 legs. How many pigs are there?

5 pigs

Step-by-step explanation:

A farmhouse shelters 16 animals, some are pigs, and some are ducks. Altogether there are 42 legs. How many pigs are there?

Let us represent:

Number of pigs = x

Number of ducks = y

Our system of equations is given as:

A farmhouse shelters 16 animals, some are pigs, and some are ducks.

x + y = 16 Equation 1

x = 16 - y

Altogether there are 42 legs.

Ducks have 2 legs(feet) , pigs have 4 legs,

4x + 2y = 42 Equation 2

We substitute

16 - y for x in Equation 2

Hence:

4(16 - y) + 2y = 42

64 - 4y + 2y = 42

Collect like terms

- 4y + 2y = 42 - 64

-2y =- 22

y = -22/-2

y = 11 ducks

Solving for x.

x = 16 - y

x = 16 - 11

x = 5 pigs

Therefore, we have 5 pigs

the graph top, left is y = 4x