Question

The sum of two numbers is 72, and twice their difference is 24. What is the smaller of the two numbers?

Answer 1

suppose the two numbers are x and y.
what can you tell about x and y from the description?

Answer 2

x + y= 72

Answer 3

okay and?

Answer 4

2(x-y)=24

Answer 5

This is where I get stuck

Answer 6

okay good. so x+y = 72
and 2(x-y)=24 or x-y = 12
so you have x+y = 72
x-y =12
solve for x and y

Answer 7

I'm not sure where to go from there. Do I combine the two equations?

Answer 8

yeah

Answer 9

well lets see, what could we get for x, that will make 72 if we add y? Plug n chug works, lets try 40 for X.

Answer 10

What can we add to 40 to make 72? 32.

Answer 11

42+30=72

Answer 12

42-30=12, 12x2=24

Answer 13

made a mistake, i took 40 instead of 40, but if we were to pick 40, we would still see that it wont meet the requirements, so that is wrong anyway.

Answer 14

blah, instead of 42**

Answer 15

ok. I understand it a little bit more

Answer 16

brittany, you had x+y = 72
x - y = 12
add the two equations
2x = 84. so x = 42.
if x = 42, then 42+y = 72. so y = 30.
so your answer is 30

Answer 17

I concur.

Answer 18

Alright, thanks guys

Answer 19

:)