Question

Let a = 2, b = 3, c = 4, d = 5. If a + b = c - d, find the value of a - b.

1) 1
2) -1
3) 5
4) -5

Answer 1

After checking the original equation with the provided values, it was found incorrect. The value of a - b, using the correct values for a and b (a=2, b=3), is -1.

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve the given algebraic puzzle, we first need to substitute the given values into the first equation and check if it holds true: a + b = c - d, where a = 2, b = 3, c = 4, and d = 5. Substituting these values yields: 2 + 3 = 4 - 5, which simplifies to 5 = -1. This equation is not valid, which indicates perhaps there's an error in the provided values or the student has quoted the wrong values. However, we can find the value of a - b using the correct values of a and b.

Using a = 2 and b = 3, we find that:

a - b = 2 - 3 = -1.

Therefore, the value of a - b equals -1, which corresponds to option 2).