If an island's only residents are penguins and bears, and if there are 16 heads and 38 feet on the island, how many penguins and how many bears are on the island?
A) 12 bears, 4 penguins
B) 11 bears, 5 penguins
C) 13 bears, 3 penguins
D) 4 bears, 12 penguins
E) 3 bears, 13 penguins

Question

If an island's only residents are penguins and bears, and if there are 16 heads and 38 feet on the island, how many penguins and how many bears are on the island? ​
A) 12 bears, 4 penguins
B) 11 bears, 5 penguins
C) 13 bears, 3 penguins
D) 4 bears, 12 penguins
E) 3 bears, 13 penguins

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Penguins have 2 feet and bears have 4 feet. Let the number of penguins be P and the number of bears be B. We have two equations: P + B = 16 (heads) and 2P + 4B = 38 (feet). Solving these equations simultaneously, we find P = 13 and B = 3.

If an Island's Only Residents Are Penguins and Bears, and If