sum of 2 numbers is 14; diff. between 2 times smaller and...

[igor_iv837]

Help me please. "The sum of two numbers is fourteen. The difference between two times the smaller and the larger is one. Find the two numbers"

I did as 2x=14-2(x)=1 my answer is wrong....any help?

 

[Loren]

Re: The sum of two numbers is fourteen......

"The sum of two numbers is fourteen. The difference between two times the smaller and the larger is one. Find the two numbers"

Start naming things.

Let one number be x.
Then the other number = 14-x.

Now, on the basis of the second sentence, build your equation and solve for x. That will lead you to the other number, 14-x.

 

[igor_iv837]

Re: The sum of two numbers is fourteen......

Why do they say the sum of 2 numbers? when its 14-x....? isn't supposed to be the minus of 2 numbers equals 14?

 

[Denis]

Re: The sum of two numbers is fourteen......

Igor, slow down and start thinking a bit!

EXAMPLE: sum of 2 numbers is 20
Assume it's 8 + 14 = 20
if we let x be the 1st number, then the 2nd is 20 - x : 20 - 8 = 14 : kapish ?

 

[mmm4444bot]

Re: The sum of two numbers is fourteen......

... the minus of 2 numbers equals 14

:roll:

Ahem.

First number: (x)

Second number: (14 - x)

"The sum of two numbers is 14"

(x) + (14 - x) = 14

Use these two expressions (first number and second number) to write the equation. Solve it for x. Once you know x, you've got ONE of the two numbers that you are looking for. You find the second number by calculating 14 - x.

We need to define the second number this way (in terms of the first, by writing 14 - x); otherwise, we would have two variables in our equation, and we cannot solve for two variables when we only have one equation.

Try that!

Let your two numbers be x and B.

2x - B = 1

How can you solve that single equation to discover the values of both x and B? You can't, unless you're clever enough to use trial-and-error, but that's not using algebra.

We know that x + B = 14.

If you solve this equation for B, you get B = 14 - x

See? The second number is represented by 14 - x!

~ Mark