Question

The sum of two numbers is 2. Their difference is -16. What is the first number?

Answer 1

Answer: The first number is 4

Explanation: Since the sum of the two numbers is ten, x + y = 10

Also, since the difference of the two numbers is two, then x - y = 2

Since x - y = 2, another way to write that is x = y + 2 and since x is exactly the same as y + 2, we can plug in "y + 2" in place of x in the first equation (x + y = 10) to get (y + 2) + y = 10. Then we solve this equation by combining like-terms.

2y + 2 = 10

2y = 8

y = 4

Since x = y + 2, x = 4 + 2 or x = 6

I hope this helped you!

Answer 2

Answer:

x = -7

y = 9

Step-by-step explanation:

x + y = 2

x - y = -16

substitute '2-x' for 'y'

x - (2-x) = -16

x - 2 + x = -16

2x - 2 = -16

2x = -14

x = -7

-7 + y = 2

y = 9