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| Question 633334:  Solve this system of linear equations using matrices.
 x  +  y      = 3
 2y      = 10
 3x + 2y - 4z = 12
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 The answer is (-2, 5, 2); I want someone to walk me through this problem, because I'm just not able to solve it correctly using row operations. Here's my work:
 
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 1        1        0        3
 0        2        0        10
 3        2       -4        12
 ------------------
 1        1        0        3
 0        2/2      0        10/2
 3        2       -4        12
 ------------------
 1             1            0            3
 
 0             1            0            5
 -3(1)+3       -3(1)+2           -4      -3(3)+12
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 1           1            0            3
 0           1            0            5
 0        1(1)-1         -4           1(3)+3
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 1           1           0           3
 0           1           0           5
 0           0         -4/-4        6/-4
 ------------------
 1        1        0        3
 0        1        0        2
 0        0        1      -6/4
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 I got z = -6/4, but it's supposed to equal 2... what am I doing wrong?
 Answer by richwmiller(17219)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Actually the answer is -2, 5, -2 not  -2, 5, 2 I don't know where you went wrong but after you found y=5
 You could have gotten x=-2
 1 1 0 3
 0 1 0 5
 1 0 0 -2
 now we have
 1 0 0-2
 0 1 0 5
 3 2 -4 12
 3 0 0 -6
 0 2 -4 18
 0 2 0 10
 0 0 -4 8
 which leaves
 0 0 1 -2
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