The Ratio of Cats to Dogs at Mrs. Hernandez’s Pet Shop

The Ratio of Cats to Dogs at Mrs. Hernandez’s Pet Shop

At Mrs. Hernandez’s Pet Shop, the ratio of cats to dogs is 4 to 6. Currently, there are 12 dogs at her pet shop.

Final answer:

The total number of animals at Mrs. Hernandez's Pet Shop is 20, based on the ratio of cats to dogs being 4 to 6 and having 12 dogs at the shop.

Explanation:

The student's question is about finding the total number of animals in Mrs. Hernandez's Pet Shop based on a given ratio of cats to dogs. If the ratio of cats to dogs is 4 to 6, and there are 12 dogs, then for every 6 dogs there are 4 cats. To find how many times the ratio fits into the number of dogs, you divide the number of dogs by the ratio number for dogs:

12 dogs ÷ 6 = 2 (this is how many times the ratio fits into the number of dogs).

Then multiply the number of cats in the ratio by this number to find the total number of cats:

4 cats × 2 = 8 cats in the pet shop.

To find the total number of animals, you add the number of dogs and cats together:

12 dogs + 8 cats = 20 animals are in Mrs. Hernandez's Pet Shop.