11x-6y=21
9x+8y=43

20x-2y=64
-- --
20 20
x= 2.5

Question

11x-6y=21
9x+8y=43

20x-2y=64
--           --
20          20
x=          2.5

shadowfiend · Answer

What are you trying to find?

anonymous · Answer

Your process of elimination is incorrect. To employ this method you must completely eliminate one of the variables from your equations, then solve for the remaining one. After doing so you take that new equation and plug it back into your original, and solve for the second variable.

This problem is indeed yucky looking. My suggestion would be to solve by substitution, unless specifically told to use elimination. Substitution will involve lots of fractions, while elimination will involve very large numbers (grab your calculator)

A jumpstart for elimination method: Find the LCM (least common multiple) between the coefficients in both equations of a single variable (11 and 9 OR -6 and 8) Be sure to multiple throughout the whole equation though! Once you do so, you can then vertically add each term in the equations to eliminate the variable you chose. Good luck!