what numbers multiply to make -10
but add to make 5?
So we have this system of two equations in two unknowns:
Solve the second one for y by subtracting x from both sides:
Substitute (5-x) for y in x∙y = -10
Get 0 on the right by adding 10 to both sides of the equation:
Get the left side in descending order:
Multiply through by -1 to make the leading term positive:
(Change all the signs):
That doesn't factor so we must use the quadratic formula:
a=1, b=-5, c=-10
So there are two solutions for x:
and
We find y for each solution using y=5-x
and
and
and
and
and
There really aren't two solutions, it's just a matter of which one
we call x and which one we call y.
Answer: and
Checking:
Multiply them:
<-- that checks!
Add them:
<-- that also checks!
Edwin