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Which is the best method for solving the system? and explain why it is the best

9x+ 8y=7
18x-15y=14

a:table
b:elimination
c:graphing
d:substiution

1 Answer

6 votes

Answer:

b: elimination

Explanation:

My vote is for elimination, though any of these methods (and some not listed) will get an answer quickly.

Subtracting the second equation from twice the first gives ...

2(9x +8y) -(18x -15y) = 2(7) -(14)

31y = 0 . . . simplify

y = 0 . . . . . divide by 31 (or invoke the zero-product rule)

Then the value of x can be found from the first equation:

9x = 7

x = 7/9

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I like this method because it tells you that y=0 in one step. (Graphing does the same.) For the numbers here, you can do it mentally. Once you recognize that the x-coefficients and the constants are related by the same factor, and that factor is different for the y-coefficients, it becomes apparent that elimination will immediately tell you that y=0.

Which is the best method for solving the system? and explain why it is the best 9x-example-1
User Yevhen Bondar
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