document.write( "Question 83185: i don't understand what to do with these equations 4x+3y=-2 and 3x+2y=-3 . The directions are Solve by linear combinations \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #59704 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
If you want to solve by addition then...\r
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Solved by pluggable solver: Solving a System of Linear Equations by Elimination/Addition

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\n" ); document.write( " Lets start with the given system of linear equations
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\n" ); document.write( " \"4%2Ax%2B3%2Ay=-2\"
\n" ); document.write( " \"3%2Ax%2B2%2Ay=-3\"
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\n" ); document.write( " In order to solve for one variable, we must eliminate the other variable. So if we wanted to solve for y, we would have to eliminate x (or vice versa).
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\n" ); document.write( " So lets eliminate x. In order to do that, we need to have both x coefficients that are equal but have opposite signs (for instance 2 and -2 are equal but have opposite signs). This way they will add to zero.
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\n" ); document.write( " So to make the x coefficients equal but opposite, we need to multiply both x coefficients by some number to get them to an equal number. So if we wanted to get 4 and 3 to some equal number, we could try to get them to the LCM.
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\n" ); document.write( " Since the LCM of 4 and 3 is 12, we need to multiply both sides of the top equation by 3 and multiply both sides of the bottom equation by -4 like this:
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\n" ); document.write( " \"3%2A%284%2Ax%2B3%2Ay%29=%28-2%29%2A3\" Multiply the top equation (both sides) by 3
\n" ); document.write( " \"-4%2A%283%2Ax%2B2%2Ay%29=%28-3%29%2A-4\" Multiply the bottom equation (both sides) by -4
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\n" ); document.write( " So after multiplying we get this:
\n" ); document.write( " \"12%2Ax%2B9%2Ay=-6\"
\n" ); document.write( " \"-12%2Ax-8%2Ay=12\"
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\n" ); document.write( " Notice how 12 and -12 add to zero (ie \"12%2B-12=0\")
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\n" ); document.write( " Now add the equations together. In order to add 2 equations, group like terms and combine them
\n" ); document.write( " \"%2812%2Ax-12%2Ax%29%2B%289%2Ay-8%2Ay%29=-6%2B12\"
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\n" ); document.write( " \"%2812-12%29%2Ax%2B%289-8%29y=-6%2B12\"
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\n" ); document.write( " \"cross%2812%2B-12%29%2Ax%2B%289-8%29%2Ay=-6%2B12\" Notice the x coefficients add to zero and cancel out. This means we've eliminated x altogether.
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\n" ); document.write( " So after adding and canceling out the x terms we're left with:
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\n" ); document.write( " \"1%2Ay=6\"
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\n" ); document.write( " \"y=6\" Divide both sides by \"1\" to solve for y
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\n" ); document.write( " \"y=6\" Reduce
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\n" ); document.write( " Now plug this answer into the top equation \"4%2Ax%2B3%2Ay=-2\" to solve for x
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\n" ); document.write( " \"4%2Ax%2B3%286%29=-2\" Plug in \"y=6\"
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\n" ); document.write( " \"4%2Ax%2B18=-2\" Multiply
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\n" ); document.write( " \"4%2Ax=-2-18\" Subtract \"18\" from both sides
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\n" ); document.write( " \"4%2Ax=-20\" Combine the terms on the right side
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\n" ); document.write( " \"cross%28%281%2F4%29%284%29%29%2Ax=%28-20%29%281%2F4%29\" Multiply both sides by \"1%2F4\". This will cancel out \"4\" on the left side.
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\n" ); document.write( " \"x=-5\" Multiply the terms on the right side
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\n" ); document.write( " So our answer is
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\n" ); document.write( " \"x=-5\", \"y=6\"
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\n" ); document.write( " which also looks like
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\n" ); document.write( " (\"-5\", \"6\")
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\n" ); document.write( " Notice if we graph the equations (if you need help with graphing, check out this solver)
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\n" ); document.write( " \"4%2Ax%2B3%2Ay=-2\"
\n" ); document.write( " \"3%2Ax%2B2%2Ay=-3\"
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\n" ); document.write( " we get
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\n" ); document.write( " graph of \"4%2Ax%2B3%2Ay=-2\" (red) \"3%2Ax%2B2%2Ay=-3\" (green) (hint: you may have to solve for y to graph these) and the intersection of the lines (blue circle).
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\n" ); document.write( " and we can see that the two equations intersect at (\"-5\",\"6\"). This verifies our answer.

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