Question

The sum of two numbers is 110. Their difference is 28. What is the smallest of the two numbers?

Answer 1

A. 56
B. 41
C. 69
D. 55

Answer 2

x + y = 110
x - y = 28.
what do you think?
assume y<x

Answer 3

btw. x = 69,y=41. but don't look at the answer. find out why :) first.!

Answer 4

Well, it says which is the smallest of the two numbers, so I'd have to go with 41 because that is smaller.

Answer 5

Is tha

Answer 6

Is that right or am I wrong about that one?

Answer 7

41+69=110 looks good to me

Answer 8

Here's the trick:
bigger number = (sum+difference)/2
smaller number = (sum-difference)/2

Answer 9

I am so confused on which one it is. :/

Answer 10

So it must be 41 because that is the smaller number.

Answer 11

If you want the smaller number,
Calculate (110-28)/2

Answer 12

I calculated that and got 96.

Answer 13

@alain
relax you have it!

Answer 14

you have the answer. use it :P

Answer 15

Why does everyone call me Alain? Lol.. my name is Alaina. xD Oh well, it can be short for it. :P
And thanks everyone! :)

Answer 16

there only is one solution.

Answer 17

MMMKKKKK!!!!

Answer 18

So 41 right?

Answer 19

oh and btw. (110-28) /2 = 41 :P

Answer 20

check your subtraction ^^

Answer 21

RONNCC has a good answer, basically it is best to use substitution in order to solve. He said:
"x + y = 110
x - y = 28.
what do you think?
assume y<x"
and you may assume without loss of generality that y<x, since x-y=28 > 0 meaning x>y.
y=x-28 from the second equation, so just substitute this into the first to give: x+x-28 = 110 ---> 2x=138 --> x=69. To find y simply use your first equation: 69+y=110 ---> y=41.

Answer 22

substitution is nice for harder equations, but generally elimination is a good method when the coefficient of x is 1 and they are in a simple form like this.