Basic Mathematics

Simultaneous Equations
R Horan & M Lavelle The aim of this package is to provide a short self assessment programme for students who are learning how to solve simultaneous equations.

Copyright c 2003 [email protected] , [email protected] Last Revision Date: October 15, 2003 Version 1.0

Table of Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. Two Equations and Two Unknowns Simultaneous Equations A Systematic Approach Final Quiz Solutions to Exercises Solutions to Quizzes

Section 1: Two Equations and Two Unknowns

1. Two Equations and Two Unknowns

Many scientic problems lead to simultaneous equations containing quantities which need to be calculated. The simplest case is two simultaneous equations in two unknowns, say x and y . Example 1 To start to see how we can solve such relations, consider 4x + y = 9 3x = 6 There are two unknown variables x and y . However, the bottom equation only involves x and is solved by x = 2. We can then substitute this into the top equation to nd 42+y y y = = = 9 98 1

The full solution is therefore x = 2 , y = 1 .

Section 1: Two Equations and Two Unknowns

Exercise 1. Solve the following pairs of simultaneous equations (Click on the green letters for the solutions.) (a) x+y = x = 3 2 (b) 4x y y = 10 = 2

(c)

zx = 2 2x = 2

(d)

3t + 2s = 0 s+1 = 2

Quiz What value of y solves the following pair of equations? x + 2y = 10 x = 2 (a) 12 (b) 4 (c) 8 (d) 6

Section 2: Simultaneous Equations

2. Simultaneous Equations
More generally both equations may involve both unknowns. Example 2 Consider x+y xy = 4 = 2 (1) (2)

Now add the left hand side of (1) to the left hand side of (2) and the right hand side of (1) to the right hand side of (2). The y s cancel and we get an equation for x alone x+y+xy = 2x = 4+2 6

which implies that x = 3. We can now insert this into (1) and so obtain: 3 + y = 4, y = 4 3 = 1. In other words the full solution is x = 3 , y = 1

Section 2: Simultaneous Equations

It is easy to check that you have the correct solution to simultaneous equations: by substituting your answers back into the original equations. We have already used (1) to nd y , so lets check that (2) is correctly solved: we get x y = 3 1 = 2 Always make such a check! Example 2 illustrates the central idea of the method which is to combine the two equations so as to get a single equation for one variable and then use this to nd the other unknown. Exercise 2. Solve the following pairs of equations (Click on the green letters for the solutions.) x+y = 5 4x + 3y = 7 (a) (b) xy = 1 x 3y = 2

Section 2: Simultaneous Equations

Example 3 Consider x + 2y x+y = = 4 3 (1) (2)

Subtracting these equations yields an equation in y , i.e., (1)-(2) gives x + 2y (x + y ) = 4 3 y = 1 Reinserting this result into (2) gives x + 1 = 3, so we obtain x = 2. Check the results by substituting them into (1)! Quiz Solve the following simultaneous equations and select the correct result: 3x + 3y 2x + 3y (a) x = 0, (c) x = 0, y=0 y=1 = = 0 1 y=1 y=2

(b) x = 1, (d) x = 3,

Section 3: A Systematic Approach

3. A Systematic Approach
The rst step in solving a system of two simultaneous equations is to eliminate one of the variables. This can be done by making the coecient of x the same in each equation. Example 4 Consider 3x + 2y 2x + y = 4 = 3 (1) (2)

If we multiply (1) by 2, and (2) by 3, then we get 6x + 4y 6x + 3y = 8 = 9

We see that the coecient of x is now the same in each equation! Subtracting them cancels (eliminates) x and we can solve the simultaneous equations using the methods described above. Let us now work through an example.

Section 3: A Systematic Approach

Example 5 Consider the equations 5x + 3y 4x + 5y = = 7 3 (1) (2)

Multiply (1) by 4 (which is the coecient of x in (2)) and also multiply (2) by 5(the coecient of x in (1)). 20x + 12y 20x + 25y = 28 = 15 (3) (4)

The coecient of x is now the same in both equations. Subtracting (4)(3) eliminates x: 25y 12y = 15 28 , 5x 3 = 7 , 13y = 13 i.e., we have y = 1. Substituting this into (1) gives 5x = 10 so that x = 2. Now check that x = 2 , y = 1 by substitution into (2)!

Section 3: A Systematic Approach

10

Quiz To eliminate x from the following simultaneous equations, what should you multiply them by? 3x 2y 4x 5y (a) 7 & 7 (b) 4 & 3 = = 7 7 (d) 3 & 4

(c) 3 & 2

Quiz To eliminate x from the simultaneous equations 7x + 3y 2x + 5y = = 13 8

you can multiply (1) by 2 and (2) by 7. Which of the following equations for y will this procedure eventually yield? (a) 29y = 82 (b) 29y = 30 (c) 41y = 82 (d) 7y = 56

Section 3: A Systematic Approach

11

Exercise 3. Solve the following equations by rst eliminating x. (a) 3x + 4y 2x + 5y = 10 = 9 (b) 3x 2y x + 3y = 9 = 3

(c)

2x y 3x + 4y

= 5 = 2

(d)

5x + 7t 7x 4t

= 8 = 25

Quiz Choose the solution of the following simultaneous equations 1 x + 2y = 3 2 2x + 3y = 7 (a) x = 1 , 2 (c) x = 4 , y=2 y=0 1 (b) x = , 2 (d) x = 2 , y=2 y=1

Section 4: Final Quiz

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4. Final Quiz
Begin Quiz Choose the solutions from the options given. 1. If x + y = 1 and x y = 3, what are x and y ? (a) x = 2, y = 1 (b) x = 1, y = 2 (c) x = 2, y = 2 (d) x = 4, y = 1 2. To eliminate x from the following equations, ax + 2y = 4 and 3x 2ay = 17, what do need to multiply them by? (a) 4 & 17 (b) a & 3 (c) 3 & a (d) 2 & 2a 3. Solve 3x + 2y = 1 and 2x + 3y = 1. (a) x = 3, y = 4 (b) x = 5, y = 3 (c) x = 3, y = 5 (d) x = 1, y = 1 4. For 2x 3y = 1 and 3x 2y = 4, nd x and y . (a) x = 2, y = 1 (b) x = 1, y = 1 (c) x = 1, y = 2 (d) x = 3, y = 2 End Quiz Score:
Correct

Solutions to Exercises

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Solutions to Exercises
Exercise 1(a) We have x+y = x = 3 2

Substituting x = 2 into x + y = 3 we obtain: 2+y y y = = = 3 32 1

The solution is thus x = 2 , y = 1 . Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

14

Exercise 1(b) We have 4x y y = = 10 2

Substituting y = 2 into 4x y = 10 yields 4x 2 = 10 4x = 12 x = 3 The solution is thus x = 3 , y = 2 . Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

15

Exercise 1(c) We have zx = 2 2x = 2 From 2x = 2 we have that x = 1. Inserting this into z x = 2 we nd z (1) = 2 z+1 = 2 z = 1 The solution is thus x = 1 , z = 1 . Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

16

Exercise 1(d) We have 3t + 2s = 0 s+1 = 2 From s +1 = 2, we have s = 1 and this can be inserted into 3t +2s = 0 to give 3t+2 = 0 3t = 2 2 t= 3 The solution is thus s = 1 , t = 2 3 . Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

17

Exercise 2(a) We have the equations x+y xy and adding them yields 2x = 6 so x = 3. This can now be inserted into the rst equation to give 3+y y = = 5 2 = = 5 1

The solution is thus x = 3 , y = 2 . These results can be checked by inserting them into the second equation xy =32=1 Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

18

Exercise 2(b) We have the equations 4x + 3y x 3y and adding them yields 4x + 3y + x 3y = 5x = x = 72 5 1 = 7 = 2

Substituting x = 1 into the rst equation yields 4 + 3y 3y y = = = 7 3 1

This can now be checked by substitution into x 3y = 1 3 = 2 Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

19

Exercise 3(a) We have the equations 3x + 4y 2x + 5y = 10 = 9 (1) (2)

and multiplying the rst equation by 2 and the second by 3 yields: 6x + 8y 6x + 15y = 20 = 27 (3) (4)

The coecient of x is now the same and subtracting (3) from (4) yields an equation in y alone. 15y 8y 7y = = 27 20 7

so y = 1. Inserting this into (1) yields 3x + 4 = 10, which implies that 3x = 6 and so x = 2. Check x = 2 , y = 1 by substitution into (2)! Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

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Exercise 3(b) We have the equations 3x 2y x + 3y 3x + 2y 3x + 9y = 9 = 3 = 9 = 9 (1) (2)

Multiplying the rst equation by 1 and the second by 3 yields (3) (4)

and subtracting (4) from (3) gives 7y = 0, so that y = 0. Inserting this into (1) yields x = 3. The solution, x = 3 , y = 0, should be checked by substitution into (2): x + 3y = 3 + 0 Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

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Exercise 3(c) We have the equations 2x y 3x + 4y 6x 3y 6x + 8y = 5 = 2 (1) (2)

Multiplying (1) by 3 and (2) by 2 yields = = 15 4 (3) (4)

and subtracting (4) from (3) gives 11y = 11, so y = 1. Inserting this into the initial equation yields 2x + 1 = 5 2x = 4 x = 2 Now check that x = 2 , y = 1, by substitution into (2)! Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Exercises

22

Exercise 3(d) We have the equations 5x + 7t 7x 4t 35x + 49t 35x 20t and subtracting (4) from (3) gives 49t + 20t 69t = 56 125 = 69 = 8 = 25 = = 56 125 (1) (2) (3) (4)

Multiplying (1) by 7 and (2) by 5 yields

So t = 1. Inserting this into (1) yields 5x 7 = 8 5x = 15 so we get x = 3 , t = 1. Check this by substitution into (2)! Click on the green square to return

Solutions to Quizzes

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Solutions to Quizzes
Solution to Quiz: We are given x + 2y = 10 x = 2 Substituting x = 2 into x + 2y = 10 yields 2 + 2y 2y y The solution is thus x = 2 , y = 6 . = = = 10 12 6 End Quiz

Solutions to Quizzes

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Solution to Quiz: We are given 3x + 3y 2x + 3y Subtracting these equations yields 3x + 3y (2x + 3y ) = 01 x = 1 This can now be substituted into (1) to yield 3 + 3y 3y y = = = 0 3 1 = = 0 1 (1) (2)

Check the solution, x = 1 , y = 1 , by substitution into (2). End Quiz

Solutions to Quizzes

25

Solution to Quiz: We have the equations 3x 2y 4x 5y = = 7 7 (1) (2)

To eliminate x we have to multiply (1) by 4 and (2) by 3. This procedure yields: 12x 8y 12x 15y = = 28 21 (3) (4)

The x coecient is then the same in each equation and so subtracting (4) from (3) indeed eliminates x. End Quiz

Solutions to Quizzes

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Solution to Quiz: We have 7x + 3y 2x + 5y 14x 6y 14x + 35y 6y 35y 41y 41y = 13 = 8 = 26 = 56 (1) (2)

Multiplication by 2 and 7 respectively yields (3) (4)

Subtracting (4) from (3) cancels the xs and yields = 26 56 = 82 = 82

This implies that y = 2 and on substitution into (1) we obtain x = 1. These answers can then be checked by substituting into (2). End Quiz

Solutions to Quizzes

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Solution to Quiz: We have the equations 1 x + 2y = 3 2 2x + 3y = 7

(1) (2)

It is easiest here to multiply (1) by 4 and then subtract (2) from it. In this way we do not have unnecessary fractions. We nd: 2x + 8y 2x + 3y = = 12 7 (3) (4)

Subtracting them cancels the xs and yields 5y y = = 5 1

Substituting this into (3) yields x = 2. The solution, x = 2 , y = 1 , can be checked by substitution into (2). End Quiz