The Master Chief collects spiders and starfish. If his spiders have 8 legs and his starfish have 5 legs, how many starfish must he have, given that his spider/starfish collection totals 19 creatures and 116 legs

Respuesta :

Answer:

12 starfish

Step-by-step explanation:

Create a system of equations where x is the number of starfish he has and y is the number of spiders he has:

x + y = 19

5x + 8y = 116

Solve by elimination by multiplying the top equation by -8:

-8x - 8y = -152

5x + 8y = 116

Add these together and solve for x:

-3x = -36

x = 12

So, he has 12 starfish.