the ratio of pigs to cows to sheep is 2:4:7. there are 65 more sheep than pigs. How many cows are on the farm

We can start to solve this problem by thinking of the ratios with x's. That means that there are 2x pigs, 4x cows, and 7x sheep. Now the question tells us that there are 65 more sheep then pigs. We know that there are 7x sheep and 2x pigs. But, in both of these numbers, x stands for the same number. That means that by subtracting them, we can figure out how much more, in terms of x, one is. 7x - 2x is 5x, so that means that there are 5x more sheep then pigs.

But, we also know that there are 65 more sheep then pigs. That means that 5x is equal to 65. Simplifying, we get that x = 13. But that's not the answer. the question asks us for the number of cows. We know that there are 4x cows. Since x = 13, that means that there are 4 * 13 cows or 52 cows, meaning that our answer is 52 cows.