Answer to Question #125461 in Algebra for Sphesihle Zuma

Question

'I can tell there are 5 sheeps and 4 ducks

' 11 1111 1111 111111 1111 11 11 1111' analyse the speakers assumption and reason with her that she may be wrong '

Answer 1

The speaker believed that all four-legged figures were sheep, and the six-legged figure was a sheep and a duck.

But in fact, a four legs can be either one sheep or two ducks. The figure of six legs can be either three ducks, or a sheep and a duck.

And only a figure with two legs is definitely a duck.

Thus, apart from the variant which the speaker pointed out, there are also such variants:

• 6 ducks and 4 sheeps
• 8 ducks and 3 sheeps
• 10 ducks and 2 sheeps
• 12 ducks and 1 sheep
• There are 14 ducks and no sheep

So the speaker could have been right as well as wrong.