Calculate Total Animals: Solving 10 Cages × 3 Average Animals

Q: Why do I multiply instead of add the numbers?

Because the average tells us how many animals are in each cage. With 10 cages each having 3 animals, you need 3 + 3 + 3... ten times, which equals $ 3 \times 10 = 30 $.

Q: What if some cages have more animals and others have fewer?

That's exactly what average means! Some cages might have 1 animal, others might have 5, but they average out to 3 per cage. The total is still 30 animals.

Q: How can I check if my answer makes sense?

Ask yourself: Does 30 animals spread across 10 cages give 3 per cage? Divide: $ 30 ÷ 10 = 3 $. Yes, it checks out!

Q: What if the problem asked for the average instead?

Then you'd use the reverse formula: Average = Total ÷ Number of items. If there were 40 animals in 10 cages, the average would be $ 40 ÷ 10 = 4 $ animals per cage.

Q: Can the average be a decimal number?

Absolutely! If 10 cages had 25 animals total, the average would be $ 25 ÷ 10 = 2.5 $ animals per cage. You'd still multiply: 2.5 × 10 = 25.

Average Calculations with Multiplication

There are 10 cages in a zoo.

If the average number of animals in each cage is 3, then how many animals are there in total?

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Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

There are 10 cages in a zoo.

If the average number of animals in each cage is 3, then how many animals are there in total?

Step-by-step solution

To calculate the total number of animals in the zoo, we need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify the given average number of animals per cage, which is $3$ .
Step 2: Identify the total number of cages, which is $10$ .
Step 3: Use the formula for total calculation: $\text{Total} = \text{Average} \times \text{Number of cages}$ .

Now, applying the formula:
$\text{Total} = 3 \times 10 = 30$

Therefore, the total number of animals in all cages at the zoo is $30$ .

Final Answer

$30$

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Formula: Total = Average × Number of items or groups
Technique: Multiply 3 animals per cage × 10 cages = 30 animals
Check: Divide total back: 30 ÷ 10 = 3 animals per cage ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Adding average to number of cages instead of multiplying
Don't add 3 + 10 = 13 animals! This treats the average like an additional amount rather than a rate per cage. Always multiply the average by the number of groups to find the total.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

Calculate the average of $$ 10 $$ and $$ 12 $$ .

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why do I multiply instead of add the numbers?

Because the average tells us how many animals are in each cage. With 10 cages each having 3 animals, you need 3 + 3 + 3... ten times, which equals $3 \times 10 = 30$ .

What if some cages have more animals and others have fewer?

That's exactly what average means! Some cages might have 1 animal, others might have 5, but they average out to 3 per cage. The total is still 30 animals.

How can I check if my answer makes sense?

Ask yourself: Does 30 animals spread across 10 cages give 3 per cage? Divide: $30 ÷ 10 = 3$ . Yes, it checks out!

What if the problem asked for the average instead?

Then you'd use the reverse formula: Average = Total ÷ Number of items. If there were 40 animals in 10 cages, the average would be $40 ÷ 10 = 4$ animals per cage.

Can the average be a decimal number?

Absolutely! If 10 cages had 25 animals total, the average would be $25 ÷ 10 = 2.5$ animals per cage. You'd still multiply: 2.5 × 10 = 25.

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