The American swallow can lift into the air and carry a maximum of 5 pounds of weight, while the European swallow can lift and carry twice the weight as the American swallow. If there was a flock of 90 swallows, containing twice as many American as European swallows, what is the maximum combined weight the flock can carry? Let's be accurate as possible.
If "x" is the number of European swallows, then, for every one European swallow, there would be 2x American swallows. Thus, the total number of swallows would be 2x + x = 90 swallows. Thus, the number of European swallows x = 30. And the number of American swallows is 90 - 30 = 60. A European swallow can carry twice what an American swallow can carry, or 2 * 5 = 10 pounds. 30 European swallows can carry a maximum of 30 * 10 = 300 pounds. 60 American swallows can carry a maximum of 60 * 5 = 300 pounds. Thus, a flock of 90 birds, with 30 European and 60 American swallows, can carry 300 + 300 = 600 pounds.
The answer: 600.