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| Question 827968:  The sum of two numbers is 32.  Their difference is 15.  What are the two numbers?
 Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! The sum of two numbers is 32. Their difference is 15. What are the two numbers? :
 Write an equation for each statement, use the elimination method
 a + b = 32
 a - b = 15
 -------------adding eliminates b, find a
 2a = 47
 a = 47/2
 a = 23.5
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 Find b
 23.5 + b = 32
 b = 32 - 23.5
 b = 8.5
 :
 See if that checks out in the 2nd equation
 23.5 - 8.5 = 15
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