Final answer:
To solve the student's math problem, we set up an equation, found the smaller number to be 19, and then determined the larger number to be 36.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's mathematics problem involves finding two numbers, where the sum of two numbers is 55, and the larger number is 17 more than the smaller number.
Let's denote the smaller number as x. According to the problem, the larger number is x + 17. The sum of the two numbers is 55, so we can write the equation x + (x + 17) = 55.
Simplifying the equation:
- 2x + 17 = 55
- 2x = 55 - 17
- 2x = 38
- x = 19
Now we found the smaller number, x, is 19. To find the larger number, we add 17 to the smaller number:
- x + 17 = 19 + 17
- x + 17 = 36
So, the two numbers are 19 and 36.