Question

To eliminate the x in the equations below, what should you multiply each equation by before combining?

1) Multiply the bottom equation by -2
2) Multiply the top equation by 5 and the bottom equation by -2
3) No multiplication is necessary, just combine to eliminate the x
4) Multiply the top equation by 2 and the bottom equation by 5

Answer 1

To eliminate the x in the equations, you can multiply one or both equations by certain numbers to make the x terms cancel out when added together.

Step-by-step explanation:

To eliminate the x in the equations, you can follow these steps:

1. If you multiply the bottom equation by -2, the x terms in both equations will have opposite signs and cancel out when you add them together.
2. If you multiply the top equation by 5 and the bottom equation by -2, the x terms in both equations will have the same sign and cancel out when you add them together.
3. There may be instances where multiplication is not necessary, and you can directly combine the equations to eliminate x.
4. If you multiply the top equation by 2 and the bottom equation by 5, the x terms in both equations will have the same sign and cancel out when you add them together.