If \(x y-3 y=2\) and \(x+y=6\), then \(x\) is: A. 4 or 5 B. 3 or 4 C. 4 D. 5 E. Cannot be determined

Short Answer

Expert verified
4 or 5

Step by step solution

01

- Rewrite the first equation

From the equation \( x y - 3 y = 2 \), factor out \( y \) to get: \( y(x - 3) = 2 \)
02

- Rearrange the second equation

From the equation \( x + y = 6 \), express \( y \) in terms of \( x \): \( y = 6 - x \)
03

- Substitute \( y \) in the first equation

Plug \( y = 6 - x \) into \( y(x - 3) = 2 \): \((6 - x)(x - 3) = 2 \)
04

- Simplify the equation

Expand and simplify the equation: \( 6x - 18 - x^2 + 3x = 2 \) which simplifies to \( -x^2 + 9x - 18 = 2 \)
05

- Form a quadratic equation

Rearrange to form a quadratic equation: \( -x^2 + 9x - 20 = 0 \). Multiply through by -1 to simplify: \( x^2 - 9x + 20 = 0 \)
06

- Solve the quadratic equation

Factorize the quadratic equation: \((x - 4)(x - 5) = 0 \). Thus, \( x = 4 \) or \( x = 5 \)
07

- Verify the solution

Since we have \( x + y = 6 \), substituting \( x = 4 \) gives \( y = 2 \); substituting \( x = 5 \) gives \( y = 1 \). Both pairs satisfy the original equations.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Understanding Quadratic Equations
A quadratic equation is any equation that can be written in the standard form: \( ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \)where \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) are constants. These equations are crucial in many areas of mathematics and science because they describe parabolic shapes. In our exercise, we derived the quadratic equation from a system of linear equations by substituting one equation into the other. This process transforms the equations into a single quadratic equation, which we then need to solve.
The Role of System of Equations
A system of equations consists of two or more equations that share common variables. To find solutions to a system, we need to find values for the variables that satisfy all the equations simultaneously. In the given problem, we have:
  • \( xy - 3y = 2 \)
  • \( x + y = 6 \)
By solving these equations together, we find a common solution for \( x \) and \( y \). The usual approach is either substitution or elimination. Here, we used substitution to replace \( y \) in the first equation with \( 6 - x \) from the second equation.
Factoring Techniques
Factoring is the process of breaking down an equation into simpler expressions that, when multiplied together, give the original equation. For quadratic equations, this often involves finding two binomials whose product equals the quadratic equation. In the exercise, we reached the quadratic equation: \( x^2 - 9x + 20 = 0 \).We factorized it into:\[ (x - 4)(x - 5) = 0 \]Factoring is efficient because it allows us to find the roots of the quadratic equation immediately. Each factor equals zero, giving us the solutions for \( x \):
  • \( x - 4 = 0 \), hence \( x = 4 \)
  • \( x - 5 = 0 \), hence \( x = 5 \)
Verification Process
Verifying a solution is critical in mathematics, especially when working with systems of equations or quadratic equations. After solving for \( x \) and \( y \), we must substitute these values back into the original equations to ensure they are correct. In our case, substituting \( x = 4 \) and \( x = 5 \) into \( x + y = 6 \) yields:
  • For \( x = 4 \), \( y = 6 - 4 = 2 \)
  • For \( x = 5 \), \( y = 6 - 5 = 1 \)
Next, we substitute these \( (x, y) \) pairs back into the first equation:
  • \( x y - 3 y = 2 \); for \( x = 4 \) and \( y = 2 \):
    • \( 4 * 2 - 3 * 2 = 8 - 6 = 2 \)
    • for \( x = 5 \) and \( y = 1 \) : \( 5 * 1 - 3 * 1 = 5 - 3 = 2 \)
Both pairs satisfy the original equations, confirming our solutions are correct.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Always prepare for the worst; moreover, when all the hard work has been done and the potential problems anticipated you can celebrate the inevitable success. A. moreover, when B. although, when C. after all, when D. until E. above all, when

A man, a woman and a girl take 5 hours to label 1,000 packages. How long would the woman take to label 100 ? (1) The woman works \(10 \%\) faster than the man who works \(15 \%\) faster than the girl (2) The man and the girl together label 10 in 5 minutes A. 1 alone, not 2 alone B. 2 alone, not 1 alone C. 1 and 2 together (need both) D. 1 alone or 2 alone E. 1 and 2 together are not sufficient

A reason given for the abandonment of rehabilitation programs is best captured by which of the following statements? A. Prisons are so overcrowded that prisoners must forgo education and rehabilitation programs so that staff may concentrate on issues of security. B. The criminal system is slow or unwilling to provide the resources required for rehabilitation provision. C. Prisons are so overcrowded that staff must forgo education and rehabilitation programs, as they simply do not have the time or resources. D. Overcrowding in the criminal system means that thousands of offenders are waiting six months or more to be offered a place on one of the few rehabilitation schemes still operating. E. The time or wherewithal to run rehabilitation programs is no longer available, as it is taken up by the need to cope with overcrowding.

If 5a + 4b = 20 and 4a + 5b = 30, what is 9a + 9b? A. 50 B. 40 C. 90/5 D. 90/4 E. 220/9

Only the children interested went to the natural history museum to see the dinosaur exhibition. All but one of them was well behaved. A. Only the children interested went to the natural history museum to see the dinosaur exhibition. All but one of them was well behaved. B. Only the interested children went to the natural history museum to see the dinosaur exhibition. All but one of them was behaved well. C. Only the children interested went to the natural history museum to see the dinosaur exhibition. All but one of them was behaved. D. Only the interested children went to the natural history museum to see the dinosaur exhibition. All but one of them was behaved. E. Only the children interested went to the natural history museum to see the dinosaur exhibition. All but one of them was behaved well.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on English Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free