Now that you have worked out one Heads and Legs problem, here are some different ones. You should find a method which makes these easy and systematic, so you can always do them quickly. Your task is not only to get the right answers, but describe the method you use.
| Spiders and Flies
In the whole of my backyard, there are a total of 13 crawly creatures - some spiders and some flies - who have a total of 90 little crawly legs on all the crawly creatures. How many spiders and how many flies? |
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Dolls and Wombats
I'm sure you've heard of the famous battle of the wombats and the dolls. No? Well, a rare photograph of this terrifying event survives. A witness counted 26 heads and 74 legs. (For non-Australians, wombats have 4 legs!) How many wombats and how many noble dolls took part in this historical event? (For sensitive children: don't worry. Esther (pictured left) survived unscathed!) |
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Cat(ch) the Butterfly - or
flutterby the Cat!
The Cat won't catch these butterflies - I hope. They landed on my curtains and make the room look so nice! In my loungeroom, I counted 15 heads belonging to either cats or butterflies. Attached to these heads, via 15 bodies I counted 72 legs. How many cats and how many butterflies? |
Dogs and Bears love playing with each other. Well, until the dogs bounce all over the bears (who all have two legs and two front paws). I counted 32 heads at the Dog and Bear party. At the same time there were 88 legs all going at once. I went home to sleep! How many bears and how many dogs did I leave at the party? |
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Can you answer each of the problems?
Have you found a method to use
to solve these problems which will work every time?
