The sum of two numbers is 84.
Let the smaller number be represented by x.
Then use the principle:
If a letter represents one part of a given quantity, the other part of that
given quantity is represented by "That given quantity MINUS that part".
So the larger number is represented by 84-x.
If twice the smaller numberThat's 2x
is subtracted from the larger numberThat's the larger minus smaller or (84-x)-2x
the result is 9.That gives the equation
(84-x)-2x = 9
Find the two numbers.Solve that for x, which will be the smaller number. Subtract from 84
to get the larger number.
You finish:
Edwin