Solve the system using the substituion method. 2x - 5y = 9 -3x + y = -7 The substitution method works best when there is a term in one of the variables in one of the equations which has a coefficient of 1 or -1. The second equation has the term "y", which has the understood coefficient of 1. So we solve it for y: -3x + y = -7 y = -7 + 3x Now we substitute (-7 + 3x) for y in the first equation. 2x - 5y = 9 2x - 5(-7 + 3x) = 9 2x + 35 - 15x = 9 -13x + 35 = 9 -13x = -26 x = 2 Now substitute (2) for x in y = -7 + 3x y = -7 + 3(2) y = -7 + 6 y = -1 So the solution is (x,y) = (2,-1) Edwin