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| Question 110517:  The sum of two numbers is 38. Their difference is 12. What are the two numbers?
 Answer by ptaylor(2198)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Let x= one number
 Then 38-x= the other number
 Now we are told that (38-x)-x=12  get rid of parens (distributive law)
 38-x-x=12 subtract 38 from both sides
 38-38-x-x=12-38  collect like terms
 -2x=-26  divide both sides by -2
 x=13------------------------one number
 38-x=38-13=25----------------------the other number
 CK
 13+25=38
 38=38
 and
 25-13=12
 12=12
 ANOTHER WAY
 Let x=one number
 And y=the other
 Now we are told the following:
 x+y=38------------------------eq1
 x-y=12------------------------eq2
 Add eq1 and eq2 and we get:
 2x=50  divide both sides by 2
 x=25 ------------------------one number
 x+y=38
 25+y=38  subtract 25 from both sides
 y=38-25 or 12-------------the other number
 
 Hope this helps ----ptaylor
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