Question

There are 48 more chicken nuggets than fish nuggets on the plate. After some cildren ate 12 chicken nuggets and 12 fish nuggets there were 3 times as many chicken nuggets as fish nuggets. How many nuggets were there on the plate?

Answer 1

Let there be 'c' chicken nuggets and 'f' fish nuggets

There are 48 more chicken nuggets than fish nuggets on the plate.
c = f + 48 ...(1)

After some children ate 12 chicken nuggets and 12 fish nuggets there were 3 times as many chicken nuggets as fish nuggets.
c-12 = 3(f-12)
=> c = 3f - 24 ...(2)

Substitute (1) into (2) to find f:
f = ___ ...(3)

Substitute (3) into (1) to find c:
c = ___ ...(4)

How many nuggets were there on the plate?
Add (3) and (4):
.: c + f = ___

Answer 2

fish nuggets --- f
chicken nuggets --- f+48

after "eating"
fish nuggets = f-12
chicken nuggets = f+48 - 12 = f+36

" there were 3 times as many chicken nuggets as fish nuggets" ---> f+36 = 3(f-12)

f+36 = 3f - 36
-2f = -72
f = 36

so they started with 36 fish nuggets and 84 chicken nuggets


check:
were the 48 more chicken than fish ? YES
after eating:
fish -- 36-12 = 24
chichen -- 84-12 = 72
3 times as many chicken as fish ? YES