Solving Applications of Systems of Equations By Elimination

The sum of two numbers is 39. Their difference is 9. Find the numbers.

Solution

\(\begin{array}{ccc}\mathbf{\text{Step 1. Read}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{the problem}\hfill & & \\ \mathbf{\text{Step 2. Identify}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{what we are looking for.}\hfill & & \hfill \text{We are looking for two numbers.}\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Step 3. Name}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{what we are looking for.}\hfill & & \begin{array}{c}\hfill \text{Let}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}n=\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{the first number.}\hfill \\ \hfill \phantom{\rule{2.3em}{0ex}}m=\text{the second number}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \\ \begin{array}{c}\mathbf{\text{Step 4. Translate}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{into a system of equations.}\hfill \\ \\ \end{array}\hfill & & \hfill \begin{array}{}\\ \text{The sum of two numbers is 39.}\hfill \\ \hfill \phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}n+m=39\hfill \\ \hfill \text{Their difference is 9.}\hfill \\ \hfill n-m=9\hfill \end{array}\hfill \\ \text{The system is:}\hfill & & \hfill \begin{array}{c}n+m=39\hfill \\ n-m=9\hfill \end{array}\hfill \\ \begin{array}{c}\mathbf{\text{Step 5. Solve}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{the system of equations.}\hfill \\ \text{To solve the system of equations, use}\hfill \\ \text{elimination. The equations are in standard}\hfill \\ \text{form and the coefficients of}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}m\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{are}\hfill \\ \text{opposites. Add.}\hfill \\ \\ \text{Solve for}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}n.\hfill \\ \\ \end{array}\hfill & & \hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill \underset{\text{____________}}{\begin{array}{c}n+m=39\hfill \\ n-m=9\hfill \end{array}}\hfill \\ \hfill 2n\phantom{\rule{1.8em}{0ex}}=48\hfill \\ \\ \hfill \phantom{\rule{2.21em}{0ex}}n=24\hfill \end{array}\hfill \\ \begin{array}{c}\text{Substitute}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}n=24\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{into one of the original}\hfill \\ \text{equations and solve for}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}m.\hfill \end{array}\hfill & & \hfill \begin{array}{c}\hfill \phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\begin{array}{c}\hfill n+m=39\\ \hfill 24+m=39\\ \hfill m=15\end{array}\hfill \end{array}\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Step 6. Check}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{the answer.}\hfill & & \phantom{\rule{1.55em}{0ex}}\text{Since}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}24+15=39\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{and}\hfill \\ & & \hfill 24-15=9,\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{the answers check.}\hfill \\ \mathbf{\text{Step 7. Answer}}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\text{the question.}\hfill & & \hfill \text{The numbers are 24 and 15.}\hfill \end{array}\)