Question

One number is 4 more than another, and their sum is 60. What is the smaller number? If x = the larger number and y = the smaller number, then which of the following systems could be used to solve the problem?

a. x+y=60 and -x+y=4
b. x+y=60 and x-y=4
c. x+y=60 and x+y=4

Answer 1

Answer:a. x+y=60 and -x+y=4

Explanation:

Answer 2

a.
`x+y=60` and
`-x+y=4`

Explanation:

Let x be the larger number and y be the smaller number.

We have been given that one number is 4 more than another. We can represent this information in an equation as:

`y=x+4...(1)`

We can manipulate this equation as:

`y-x=x-x+4`

`-x+y=4`

We are also told that the sum of both numbers is 60. We can represent this information in an equation as:

`x+y=60...(2)`

Upon looking at our given choices, we can see that option 'a' is the correct choice.