Question

Momma Chipmunk had some acorns. Her babies ate \[34\] of the acorns. Then, she ate the \[18\] acorns that were left.
What is the total number of acorns that Momma Chipmunk had?

Answer 1

Let \( x \) be the total number of acorns that Momma Chipmunk originally had. According to the problem, the babies ate \( 34 \) acorns, and then Momma Chipmunk ate \( 18 \) acorns from what was left.

After the babies ate \( 34 \) acorns, the number of acorns left is:

\[
x - 34
\]

Momma Chipmunk then ate \( 18 \) acorns from that amount, giving us the equation:

\[
x - 34 - 18 = 0
\]

Simplifying the left side:

\[
x - 52 = 0
\]

Now, adding \( 52 \) to both sides:

\[
x = 52
\]

Thus, the total number of acorns that Momma Chipmunk initially had is \( \boxed{52} \).

To verify, we check the calculations:
- Momma Chipmunk starts with \( 52 \) acorns.
- Her babies eat \( 34 \) acorns, so she has:

\[
52 - 34 = 18
\]

- Then Momma Chipmunk eats \( 18 \) acorns:

\[
18 - 18 = 0
\]

The calculations confirm that the initial total of \( 52 \) acorns is correct. Therefore, the answer is indeed \( \boxed{52} \).