A farm has 20 animals; some are horses and some are chickens. Altogether, there are 36 legs. If x represents the number of horses and y represents the number of chickens, what coordinate pair represents how many of each animal is on the farm? Use the graph of the system of equations to determine the solution.

Question

y=−x+20

y=−2x+18

Answer 1

To find the coordinate pair that represents the number of horses and chickens on the farm, we need to find the values of x and y that satisfy both equations.

Setting the two equations equal to each other, we have:

-x + 20 = -2x + 18

Adding 2x to both sides, we get:

x + 20 = 18

Subtracting 20 from both sides, we have:

x = -2

To find the value of y, we can substitute x = -2 into either equation. Let's use the first equation:

y = -(-2) + 20

y = 2 + 20

y = 22

Therefore, the coordinate pair that represents the number of horses and chickens on the farm is (-2, 22).