Final answer:
To solve the system of equations, set up the sum of the two numbers equal to 42. Use algebraic manipulation to find the values of the smaller and larger numbers.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, we can set up a system of equations based on the given information:
Let x be the smaller number.
Then the larger number is 4x + 12.
The sum of the two numbers is 42, so we have the equation:
x + (4x + 12) = 42
Simplifying, we can combine like terms:
5x + 12 = 42
Subtracting 12 from both sides:
5x = 30
Finally, dividing both sides by 5:
x = 6
The smaller number is 6.
To find the larger number, we substitute the value of x back into the expression 4x + 12:
4(6) + 12 = 24 + 12 = 36
The larger number is 36.