document.write( "Question 110668: Difference of two numbers is 14. The second is less that 2 times the first. What are two numbers?
\n" ); document.write( ">
\n" ); document.write( "> I found a way for this to be both -13 and -27, or 15 and 29. Which is correct?
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #80621 by jim_thompson5910(35256)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Let x=first number, y=second number\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So the difference of two numbers is \"x-y=14\" (simply subtract the two to get 14). Also, since the \"second is less that 2 times the first\", this means \"y=2x-1\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So we have the system of equations \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x-y=14\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"y=2x-1\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x-%282x-1%29=14\" Plug in \"y=2x-1\" into the first equation. In other words, replace each \"y\" with \"2x-1\". Notice we've eliminated the \"y\" variables. So we now have a simple equation with one unknown.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x-2x%2B1=14\" Distribute the negative\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-x%2B1=14\" Combine like terms on the left side\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-x=14-1\"Subtract 1 from both sides\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-x=13\" Combine like terms on the right side\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=%2813%29%2F%28-1%29\" Divide both sides by -1 to isolate x\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"x=-13\" Divide\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now that we know that \"x=-13\", we can plug this into \"y=2x-1\" to find \"y\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=2%28-13%29-1\" Substitute \"-13\" for each \"x\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"y=-27\" Simplify\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So our answer is \"x=-13\" and \"y=-27\"\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So our two numbers are -13, -27\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Check: Notice if we subtract -27 from -13, we get\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"-13--27=-13%2B27=14\" \r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So this verifies our answer\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "note: with your other answer 15,29, if you subtract, you get: \r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "\"15-29=-14\" which is not what we want
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );