A spider has 8 legs. An ant has 6 legs.
There are group of spiders and a group of ants.
The groups have equal numbers of legs.
What is the least number of spiders and ants in each group? Show your work.

Question

A spider has 8 legs. An ant has 6 legs. 
There are group of spiders and a group of ants.
The groups have equal numbers of legs.
What is the least number of spiders and ants in each group? Show your work.

jdoe0001 · Answer

"There are group of spiders and a group of ants."     <---- there are how many  of each?

anonymous · Answer

Find the lowest whole numbers for s and a that make this equation true:
$$8s=6a$$

anonymous · Answer

This is a trial and error problem... just start plugging in numbers.  Or say that the number of spider legs is a function f1(s)=8x (x is the number of legs).  and that the number of ant legs is a function f2(a)=6x.  then f1(1)=8.  try f2(1)=6*1=6.  since f1(1)<f(2) try f2(2)=2*6=12.  now f2>f1.  so try f1(2).  Do this until they are equal.  When they are equal s will equal the number of spiders and a will be the number of ants.

hero · Answer

@michaelsmarketplace...

Trial and error? I figured it out on the first try.