The difference of two numbers is 27. If three times the larger number is subtracted from six times the smaller number, the difference is 9. Find the smaller number.
Explanation/Thanks!
okay, first thing you want to do is put everything into mathematical terms. i'm going to put it this way:
x = larger number
y= smaller number
The difference of two numbers is 27. Expressed in a mathematic equation is:
x-y=27
If three times the larger number is subtracted from six times the smaller number, the difference is 9. Expressed in mathematical terms:
6y-3x=9
there are a few ways from here to solve for x and y, but the way i would do it is by substitution.
solve the first equation (x-y=27) for x, which gets you x=27+y
then substitute that into the other equation (6y -3x=9)
that gets you:
6y -3(27+y) = 9
6y-81-3y=9
y=30
then plug that into x-y=27
x-30=27
x= 57
10 and 17
10+17=27
6(10)-3(17)=9
Comments
okay, first thing you want to do is put everything into mathematical terms. i'm going to put it this way:
x = larger number
y= smaller number
The difference of two numbers is 27. Expressed in a mathematic equation is:
x-y=27
If three times the larger number is subtracted from six times the smaller number, the difference is 9. Expressed in mathematical terms:
6y-3x=9
there are a few ways from here to solve for x and y, but the way i would do it is by substitution.
solve the first equation (x-y=27) for x, which gets you x=27+y
then substitute that into the other equation (6y -3x=9)
that gets you:
6y -3(27+y) = 9
6y-81-3y=9
y=30
then plug that into x-y=27
x-30=27
x= 57
10 and 17
10+17=27
6(10)-3(17)=9