An easy question on chickens and rabbits for P2–P3, with a step-by-step solution, diagrams and the answer. One of the best-known Olympiad problem types: in the Hua Xia Cup it appears from the P2 first round to the P5 papers.
The question
In a cage on a farm there are as many chickens as rabbits.
Each chicken has 2 legs and each rabbit has 4; there are 24 legs in all.
How many rabbits are there?
Show the hints (2)
💡Hint 1: Put one chicken and one rabbit together as a pair. How many legs does a pair have?
💡Hint 2: How many pairs make 24 legs?
Worked solution
Have a go first, then read the solution step by step.
1.There are as many of each, so put one chicken and one rabbit together as a pair. A pair has 2 + 4 = 6 legs.
2.24 legs make 24 ÷ 6 = 4 pairs.
3.Each pair has one rabbit, so there are 4 rabbits.
⚠️Common mistake: 24 ÷ 4, counting only one kind's legs.
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