A city cat show is underway. Complete with purring, meowing, and an occasional hiss. There are three times as many orange cats as black and white cats, two times as many black and white cats as grey cats, three fewer gray cats then white cats, three times as many white cats as calico cats, and five white cats. How many of each kind of cat is in the show? How many in all?

Step-by-step explanation:

There are three times as many orange cats as black and white cats,

o = 3(b + w)

two times as many black and white cats as grey cats,

b + w = 2g

three fewer gray cats than white cats,

g = w - 3

three times as many white cats as calico cats,

w = 3L

and five white cats

w = 5

There is a problem with this.

There are 5 white cats.

There are 3 times as many white cats as calico cats.

That means there are 5/3 calico cats.

How can the number of a certain type f cats be a non-whole number?

It seems that the number of white cats must be a multiple of 3, but 5 is not.

answer:   x = 3 + √11     and     x = 3 - √11

step-by-step explanation:

x² - 6x + 9 = 11

(x - 3)² = 11

x - 3 = ±√11

    x = 3 ± √11

x = 3 + √11     and     x = 3 - √11