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Given the system of equations 5x−9y=16, determine the number of solutions (x,y) the system has.

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Final answer:

To determine the number of solutions, we need to analyze the slopes of the lines represented by the equation. If the slopes are equal and the y-intercepts are different, the system has no solution. If the slopes and the y-intercepts are equal, the system has infinitely many solutions. The given system of equations has one unique solution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The given system of equations is 5x - 9y = 16.

To determine the number of solutions, we need to analyze the slopes of the lines represented by the equation. If the slopes are equal and the y-intercepts are different, the system has no solution. If the slopes and the y-intercepts are equal, the system has infinitely many solutions. And if the slopes are different, and the y-intercepts are different, the system has one unique solution.

Let's rearrange the equation into slope-intercept form (y = mx + b), where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept:

  • 5x - 9y = 16
  • -9y = -5x + 16
  • y = (5/9)x - 16/9

From the equation, we can see that the slope is 5/9 and the y-intercept is -16/9.

Since the slopes of the lines represented by the equation are different, and the y-intercepts are also different, the system has one unique solution.

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