SOLUTION: The sum of two numbers is 72 the larger number is 5 less than 3 times the smaller number find the smaller number

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Question 1022086: The sum of two numbers is 72 the larger number is 5 less than 3 times the smaller number find the smaller number
Answer by fractalier(6550) About Me  (Show Source):
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Call the smaller number x. The larger is then 72-x (since they add to 72).
Then we can write
72 - x = 3x - 5
Solving for x gives us
77 = 4x
x = 19 1/4