Math Problem Statement

Would you use substitute or elimination

Would you use substitution or elimination to solve the system of equations: 8x - y = -4 and 4x + 7y = -32?

Solution

The system of equations in the image is:

  1. 8xy=48x - y = -4
  2. 4x+7y=324x + 7y = -32

Both substitution and elimination methods would work here, but elimination may be more efficient given the structure of the equations. Let's use elimination to solve this.

Elimination Method:

Step 1: Multiply both sides of the first equation by 7 to eliminate yy when we add the two equations together.

7(8xy)=7(4)7(8x - y) = 7(-4) 56x7y=2856x - 7y = -28

So now, we have the following system:

  1. 56x7y=2856x - 7y = -28
  2. 4x+7y=324x + 7y = -32

Step 2: Add the two equations together to eliminate yy.

(56x7y)+(4x+7y)=(28)+(32)(56x - 7y) + (4x + 7y) = (-28) + (-32) 60x=6060x = -60

Step 3: Solve for xx.

x=6060=1x = \frac{-60}{60} = -1

Step 4: Substitute x=1x = -1 into the first equation to solve for yy.

8(1)y=48(-1) - y = -4 8y=4-8 - y = -4 y=4+8-y = -4 + 8 y=4y=4-y = 4 \quad \Rightarrow \quad y = -4

Solution:

The solution to the system of equations is: x=1,y=4x = -1, \quad y = -4

Would you like further clarification on any step or more details?

Here are some related questions:

  1. What is the substitution method and how does it differ from elimination?
  2. Can the substitution method also solve this system of equations?
  3. How do you check if a solution is correct for a system of equations?
  4. Why might elimination be more efficient in some cases than substitution?
  5. Can systems of equations sometimes have no solutions or infinitely many solutions?

Tip: When using elimination, it's useful to multiply the equations in a way that cancels out one of the variables immediately.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Linear Equations
Systems of Equations
Elimination Method
Substitution Method

Formulas

Elimination: Multiply and combine equations to eliminate a variable
Substitution: Solve one equation for a variable and substitute into the other

Theorems

System of Linear Equations

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10