SOLUTION: The sum of two numbers is 24. Their difference is 4. What are the numbers?

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Question 660812: The sum of two numbers is 24. Their difference is 4. What are the numbers?
Answer by KMST(5328) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
TRANSLATING WORDS INTO EQUATIONS:
Let the two numbers be x and y with x%3Ey.
"The sum of two numbers is 24" translates asx%2By=24.
"Their difference is 4" translates as x-y=4
Those two equations make up the system of linear equations
system%28x%2By=24%2Cx-y=4%29

SOLVING BY ELIMINATION:
Adding the two equations, we get
x%2By%2B%28x-y%29=24%2B4 --> 2x=28 --> 2x%2F2=28%2F2 --> highlight%28x=14%29
Substituting that into x%2By=24 we get
14%2By=24 --> 14%2By-14=24-14 --> highlight%28y=10%29