Trevor season 8 red birds. He sees 5 more red birds than bluebirds. How many bluebirds does Trevor see?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: 8 bluebirds
Explanation:
We are given:
- Trevor sees 8 red birds.
- He sees 5 more red birds than bluebirds.
Let’s break it down step-by-step using algebra:
- Let the number of bluebirds be xx.
- According to the problem, Trevor sees 5 more red birds than bluebirds, so the number of red birds is: x+5x + 5
- But we are also told that he sees 8 red birds. So we can set up the equation: x+5=8x + 5 = 8
- Solve for xx: x=8−5=3x = 8 – 5 = 3
Final Answer:
Trevor sees 3 bluebirds.
Why This Makes Sense:
This is a common type of word problem that tests basic algebra and logic. The key is to identify the unknown (the number of bluebirds) and set up an equation that models the relationship between red birds and bluebirds.
Since the number of red birds is more than the number of bluebirds by 5, the correct setup is: bluebirds+5=red birds\text{bluebirds} + 5 = \text{red birds}
When solving:
- We know red birds = 8.
- Subtracting 5 gives us the number of bluebirds = 3.
Important Tip:
Always define a variable and translate the wording into math. Words like “more than,” “less than,” “total,” and “difference” help guide you to the correct equation.
So, Trevor sees 3 bluebirds.