4 oxen or 12 cows can graze a field in 32 days. How long would 7 oxen and 3 cows take to graze the same field?
16 days
4 oxen = 12 cows
⇒ 1 ox = 124 cows
⇒ 7 oxen≡124×7 cows=21 cows
⇒ (7 oxen + 3 cows) ≡ (21 cows + 3 cows) = 24 cows
Now, 12 cows can graze the field in 32 days.
So, 1 cow can graze the field in (32×12) days.
[less cows, more days]
24 cows can graze the field in 32×1224=16 days
[more cows, less days]
Hence, 9 oxen and 3 cows can graze the field in 16 days.