Question: Brittany has 3 gerbils: Puffy, Muffy, and Scruffy. Puffy weighs 5 ounces more than Muffy. Muffy weighs 3 ounces less than Scruffy. If Scruffy weighs 12 ounces, how much would the scale indicate, in ounces, if Brittany put Puffy and Muffy on the scale? Think carefully first, then make a decision:
Muffy weighs 12 - 3 = 9 ounces. Puffy weighs 5 + 9 = 14 ounces. If Brittany weighs both Puffy and Muffy, the scale would read 9 + 14 = 23 ounces. So the answer is 23.