Question

so i have this math problem. it says solve each pair of equations using elimination or substitution. i chose substitution. heres the problem:
2x-3y=1
3x=5y=11

i sort of had an idea of what i was doing and got to
3x= 1-5y
divide the 3 and the 5 and the 1 by 3 and you get
x=1/3-5/3
next i replaced all the x's with that so it looked like this:
2(1/3-5/3y) - 3y=1
so it woud be 2/3-10/3y-9/3 y= 1
2/3-19/3y=1
now i am stuck
i know that i have to subtract 2/3 from both ends and i'll end up with -19/3y=1/3
thats where im at right now

Answer 1

your secong equation hass two = signs and i'm think one of theme should be a + or a - sign.
also after you divided by 3 you said you got x = 1/3 - 5/3 but it should be
x = 1/3 - 5y/3.

Answer 2

hi. ummm as you can probably see i am having some problems. i'm pretty sure i have to retrice-19/3 to 1 but i seriously have no idea

Answer 3

oh sorry it is a - i am so sorry i'm a cruddy typist:)

Answer 4

then combine like terms... keep the variables in the numerator unless they started in the denominator or you divided by it.

Answer 5

oh wait no its a +. yet again sorry:)

Answer 6

so in your last...

2/3 - 19y/3 = 1 just subtract 2/3 from each side and then multiply both sides by the reciprocal of the coefficient on the y term

Answer 7

alright i understood almost all those words. whats a coefficient?

Answer 8

-19y/3 the coefficient is the number that multiplied by y to give you that expression...

the coefficient is -19/3

Answer 9

Coefficients
Coefficients are the number part of the terms with variables. In 3x2 + 2y + 7xy + 5, the coefficient of the first term is 3. The coefficient of the second term is 2, and the coefficient of the third term is 7.

Answer 10

so like it would be
2/3-19/3y=1
-2/3 -2/3
-19/3y= 1-2/3(or 1/3) depending on what you want i guess?

Answer 11

i mean honestly i have no idea. what do you want me to do and try to use language that someone really stupid would understand please

Answer 12

i subtracted 2/3 from the front and end. now what do you want me to do. by the way i understand fully what a coefficiant is now. thanks for that wonderful tidbit of info

Answer 13

no... i want you to learn it. math is a language (believe it or not). you have to learn what the terms mean. what do you like? i'm sure it has it's own "language" too! terms that someone outside wouldn't understand. it happens...

Answer 14

-19/3y=1-2/3 ( would this equal 1/3 or what)

Answer 15

so the coefficient is -19/3. do you know what reciprocal means?

Answer 16

yes, the right hand side is 1/3... very good

Answer 17

yeah if you have the fraction 8/6 then the recipricol would be 6/8 its a flip flop

Answer 18

exactly... so what's the reciprocal of -19/3?

Answer 19

3/-19 easy peasy lemon squeezy

Answer 20

there you go... multiply both sides of your equation by that number to solve for y

Answer 21

3/-57 that would simplify to -19 wouldnt it?

Answer 22

-(3/19)*(19y/3) = -(3/19)*(1/3)

57y/57 = -3/57

y = -1/19

Answer 23

there's another error though... you used the second equation and solved for x right?

Answer 24

but don't worry... we'll only have to redo the last few steps

Answer 25

-19y/3 = 11 - 2/3

Answer 26

that doesnt make sense because you aid multiply the recipricaol and i did. you said multiply -19/3 by its recipricaol and it dissapppears. the yuo only have x
then i multiplied -1/3 by 3/-19 and i got -57/3 or whatever anf that gave me -19. where am i messing up. seriously i am so confused and i dont want to sound like a drama queen but i mean come on. i dont want to "learn the language" i need to know how to do this and youre confusing me and now im all upset and i sound all crazy when really i just want to fuininsh my summer assignmeant. i already hVE THA ANSWER. EVENTUALLY WHATEVER YOURE TRYING TO TELL ME QILL TURN INTO(2,1) but i dont see that happening at this point

Answer 27

good luck

Answer 28

ok :) the first step is to isolate either the first or second equation.

Answer 29

Then either isolate "x" or "y"

Answer 30

first off thank you. and are we starting from the beginning or where?

Answer 31

Yea lets start from he beginning because I also have to get familiar with the problem

Answer 32

So pick an equation and then pick a variable

Answer 33

k well i subtracted 5y from 11 leaving me with
3x=11-5y
am i ok thus far?

Answer 34

yes

Answer 35

Keep in mind that you can also choose to isolate y if it looks easier

Answer 36

alright then i divided everything by 3 leaving me with
x= 11/3-5/3y
all good?

Answer 37

yes

Answer 38

then i brought all that into the other equation 2x-3y=1 giving me
2(11/3-5/3y)-3y=1
is this ok

Answer 39

yes

Answer 40

this would give me 22/3-10/3y-3y=1
this would give me 22/3--10/3-9/3
that would eventually give me 22/3-1/3=1 yes?

Answer 41

forgot the y

Answer 42

so correct?