document.write( "Question 196141: A chemist has three samples of unknown mass. Each pair of the samples is balanced against the third sample and one of the three known masses. Find the unknown masses if the known ones are 9 g, 15 g, and 27 g. \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #147054 by josmiceli(19441) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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Let the unknown masses be $\"a\"$ , $\"b\"$ , and $\"c\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a+%2B+b+=+c+%2B+9\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"b+%2B+c+=+a+%2B+15\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"c+%2B+a+=+b+%2B+27\"$
\n" ); document.write( "From those I get:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a+%2B+b+-+c+=+9\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"-a+%2B+b+%2B+c+=+15\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a+-+b+%2B+c+=+27\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Adding the 1st two:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"2b+=+24\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"b+=+12\"$
\n" ); document.write( "Adding the 2nd two:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"2c+=+42\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"c+=+21\"$
\n" ); document.write( "And from the 1st:
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a+%2B+b+-+c+=+9\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a+%2B+12+-+21+=+9\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a+%2B+12+=+30\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"a+=+18\"$
\n" ); document.write( "The unknown masses are 18g, 12g, and 21g \n" ); document.write( "

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