At a wildlife refuge, the ratio of herons to egrets is 3 to... | SAT Ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and units Question, Answer Explained

Question bank / Ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and units

Math · Problem-Solving and Data AnalysisHard

At a wildlife refuge, the ratio of herons to egrets is $3$ to $5$ , and the ratio of egrets to cranes is $4$ to $7$ . If there are $105$ cranes at the refuge, how many herons are there?

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Answer: 36

The ratio of egrets to cranes is $4$ to $7$ , so there are $\frac{4}{7} \times 105 = 60$ egrets. The ratio of herons to egrets is $3$ to $5$ , so there are $\frac{3}{5} \times 60 = 36$ herons.

Treating the ratio of herons to cranes as $3$ to $7$ gives $45$ , but that skips the egrets, which are $5$ parts in one ratio and $4$ parts in the other.

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