So the question is: Ali's dog weighs 8 times as much as her cat. Together, the two pets weigh 54 pounds. How much does Ali's dog weigh.
So first we will have to set up the equation.
c= cat's weight
8c = dog's weight bc it is 8 x the cat's weight
54= dog's weight (8c) + cat's weight (c)
So the equation is 8c+c=54
Now, first you will combine the like terms, 8c and c, and you will get 9c
So now the equation looks like this: 9c=54
Now isolate the variable which is c by dividing 54 by 9
54 divided by 9 is 6
Now the equation is completely solved and you have c= 6
BUT the problem is not completely done because remember the variable c represents the cat's weight, and they are asking for the dog's weight. So you will now have to multiply the cat's weight by 8
8x6=48
So, Ali's dog weighs 48 pounds
I hope this helps!
