Question

The sum of two numbers is 35. The smaller number is 11 less than the larger number. What are the numbers?

Answer 1

12 & 23

Explanation:

Let's make both of the statements into equations by making the numbers x & y.

"The sum of two numbers is 35" which means the two numbers added together is 35. So, x + y = 35.

"The smaller number is 11 less than the larger number." Let's make x the smaller number. So, x = y - 11.

So our equations are x + y = 35 and x = y -11. Using substitution, we can plug in (y-11) for x in the first equation.

y + y - 11 = 35. Combine the (y + y) to get 2y - 11 = 35. Add 11 to both sides of the equation, to get 2y = 46. Divide both sides by 2 to get y = 23.

Now, we can substitute 23 for y in either one of the equations, but I'm going to use the second one. x = y - 11 or x = 23 - 11 which equals 12.

Your 2 numbers are 12 and 23. Hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

You start by writing the equation; x + x - 11 = 35
Then you combine like terms giving 2x - 11 = 35
You solve for x resulting in x = 23

So the numbers would be 23 and 12