A biologist collected 201 fern and moss samples. There were 85 more moss than fern samples. How many fern samples did the biologist collect?
A)58 fern samples
B)116 fern samples
C)143 fern samples
D)114 fern samples

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total number of samples is 201. Let the number of fern samples be F and the number of moss samples be M. We are given that M = F + 85. We also know that F + M = 201. Substituting the first equation into the second gives F + (F + 85) = 201, which simplifies to 2F + 85 = 201. Solving for F gives 2F = 116, so F = 58. Therefore, the biologist collected 58 fern samples.

A Biologist Collected 201 Fern and Moss Samples