Answer:
6 students
Step-by-step explanation:
Let x = number of students
Let y = total number of pens
Given:
⇒ 5x = y
Given:
⇒ 3x = y - 12
Substitute 5x = y into 3x = y - 12 and solve for x:
⇒ 3x = 5x - 12
⇒ 12 = 5x - 3x
⇒ 2x = 12
⇒ x = 6
Therefore, there are 6 students.