2x + 3y = -5 3x - 2y = 12 The answer is not (7,0). You must have looked at the answer to the wrong problem. We look at the two coefficients of y. They are +3 in the first equation and -2 in the second. The least common multiple of |+3| and |-2| is 6. So if we multiply both sides of the first equation by 2 and both sides of the second equation by 3, we get 4x + 6y = -10 9x - 6y = 36 Now when we add equals to equals, the +6y in the first will cancel with the -6y in the second: 4x + 6y = -10 9x - 6y = 36 -------------- 13x = 26 x = 2 Then we substitute that in either or the original equations: 2x + 3y = -5 2(2) + 3y = -5 4 + 3y = -5 3y = -9 y = -3 So the answer is (2,-3). Checking the first equation: 2x + 3y = -5 2(2) + 3(-3) = -5 4 - 9 = -5 -5 = -5 Checking the second equation: 3x - 2y = 12 3(2) - 2(-3) = 12 6 + 6 = 12 12 = 12 So the answer is (2,-3), not (7,0). Edwin