Question 1110996
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Here is a way to solve this kind of problem quickly with some mental arithmetic and a bit of logical reasoning.<br>
Think of the problem this way: You are starting at some number x.  If you go distance y in one direction you get to 16; if you go the same distance the other direction, you get to 26.<br>
Logical reasoning tells you the place you started, x, has to be halfway between 16 and 26.<br>
So x is 21.<br>
Then the distance from 21 to either 16 or 26 is 5; since you added the second number to get from 21 to 16 and subtracted the second number to get from 21 to 26, the second number is negative.  So y = -5.<br>
The two numbers are 21 and -5.<br>
This solution is virtually identical to the solution provided by the other tutor, without the formal algebra.