If there are 18 more paws than noses in the yard, how many dogs are there? - briefly
Dogs have four paws and one nose. Therefore, the difference between the number of paws and noses is directly related to the number of dogs present. To determine the number of dogs, divide the excess number of paws by three, as each dog contributes three additional paws compared to noses.
There are 6 dogs in the yard.
If there are 18 more paws than noses in the yard, how many dogs are there? - in detail
To determine the number of dogs in the yard based on the information that there are 18 more paws than noses, we need to delve into the anatomical characteristics of dogs. Dogs are quadrupeds, meaning they have four paws each. Additionally, each dog has one nose. This distinction is crucial for solving the problem.
Let's denote the number of dogs in the yard as ( D ).
Each dog contributes 4 paws and 1 nose to the total count. Therefore, if there are ( D ) dogs, the total number of paws is ( 4D ) and the total number of noses is ( D ).
According to the given information, the number of paws exceeds the number of noses by 18. This can be expressed mathematically as:
[ 4D = D + 18 ]
To find the number of dogs, we solve for ( D ):
[ 4D - D = 18 ] [ 3D = 18 ] [ D = \frac{18}{3} ] [ D = 6 ]
Thus, there are 6 dogs in the yard. This calculation is based on the fundamental biological fact that dogs have four paws and one nose, and the provided condition that the number of paws exceeds the number of noses by 18. The solution is straightforward and relies on basic arithmetic and biological knowledge.