Question

Callie has a new kitten. They can weigh 3 pounds less than half the weight of Callie‘s cat. Together the cat and kitten weigh 18 pounds. Find a system of equations that can be used to find the weight of each animal

Answer 1

Answer:

The weight of cat is 14 pounds and the weight of kitten is 4 pounds.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given:

Callie has a new kitten. It can weigh 3 pounds less than half the weight of Callie‘s cat. Together the cat and kitten weigh 18 pounds.

Now, to find the weight of each animal:

Let the cat's weight be $x.$

And the kitten weight = $\frac{x}{2} -3$

Total weight of cat and kitten = 18 pounds.

Now, to set an equation to get the weight of each animal:

$(x)+(\frac{x}{2}-3)=18$

$x+\frac{x}{2} -3=18$

$\frac{2x+x-6}{2} =18$

$\frac{3x-6}{2} =18$

Multiplying both sides by 2 we get:

$3x-6=36$

Adding both sides by 6 we get:

$3x=42$

Dividing both sides by 3 we get:

$x=14\ pounds.$

The weight of cat = 14 pounds.

Substituting the value of $x$ to get the kitten's weight:

$\frac{x}{2} -3\\\\=\frac{14}{2}-3\\\\=7-3\\\\=4.$

The kitten's weight = 4 pounds.

Therefore, the weight of cat is 14 pounds and the weight of kitten is 4 pounds.