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| Question 80447:  You have to solve the equations using matrices.  I can get part of the answer correct but not the whole answer.  I can solve for y, but what I come up with for x is not correct according to the book.  The two equations are:
 12x + 2y = 2  and 6x - 3y = -11
 I can come up with 3 for y but I end up with -11/6 for x and the book says it should be -1/3.  I can't figure out how to get the -1/3.
 Answer by Edwin McCravy(20063)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! : You have to solve the equations using matrices. I can get part of the answer correct but not the whole answer. I can solve for y, but what I come up with for x is not correct according to the book. The two equations are: 12x + 2y = 2 and 6x - 3y = -11
 I can come up with 3 for y but I end up with -11/6 for x and the book says it should be -1/3. I can't figure out how to get the -1/3.
 
 
12x + 2y =   2
 6x - 3y = -11
[12   2 |   2]
[ 6  -3 | -11]
Get a 0 where the 6 is by adding -1 
times the top row to 2 times the 
bottom row:
-1[12   2 |   2]
 2[ 6  -3 | -11]
  [12   2 |   2]
  [ 0  -8 | -24]
 
Get a 0 where the first 2 is in the top
row by adding 1 times the bottom
row to 4 times the top row
 4[12   2 |   2]
 1[ 0  -8 | -24]
  [48   0 | -16] 
  [ 0  -8 | -24]
Now divide the top row thru by 48
and the bottom row by -8:
  [1  0 | -1/3]
  [0  1 |   3 ]
So the solution is x = -1/3, y = 3
Edwin
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