in a fish bowl there were 12 fish,some little, others big. if each of the big fish ate 2 little fish and then the little fish were all gone,how many fish are left in the bowl?
there were 12 fish so 12=(big fish)+(little fish) x=big fish y=small fish so if the big fish each ate 2 little fish and all of the little fish (2x-y=0) were gone so 2x=y there are 2 times as many little fish as big fish so 12=x+y or 12=x+2x add like terms 12=3x divdide both sides by 3 4=x x=big fish
big fish =4 since the big fish ate all the little fish the answer is the origonal number of big fish which is and was 4
