How do solve the following linear system?: 4x-2y=2 , x-4y=4 ?

2 Answers
Jun 11, 2017

See a solution process below:

Explanation:

Step 1) Solve the second equation for x:

x - 4y = 4

x - 4y + color(red)(4y) = 4 + color(red)(4y)

x - 0 = 4 + 4y

x = 4 + 4y

Step 2) Substitute (4 + 4y) for x in the first equation and solve for y:

4x - 2y = 2 becomes:

4(4 + 4y) - 2y = 2

(4 xx 4) + (4 xx 4y) - 2y = 2

16 + 16y - 2y = 2

16 + (16 - 2)y = 2

16 + 14y = 2

-color(red)(16) + 16 + 14y = -color(red)(16) + 2

0 + 14y = -14

14y = -14

(14y)/color(red)(14) = -14/color(red)(14)

(color(red)(cancel(color(black)(14)))y)/cancel(color(red)(14)) = -1

y = -1

Step 3) Substitute -1 for y in the solution to the second equation at the end of Step 1 and calculate x:

x = 4 + 4y becomes:

x = 4 + (4 * -1)

x = 4 + (-4)

x = 4 - 4

x = 0

The solution is: x = 0 and y = -1 or (0, -1)

Jun 11, 2017

x=0 and y=-1

Explanation:

color(white)(-)4x-2y=2
color(white)(-)
color(white)(-)x-4y=4

Let's try elimination! If we multiply the first equation by 2, the ys will have equal coefficients, and we'll be able to eliminate them from the set:

color(white)(-)2(4x-2y=2)
color(white)(-)
color(white)(-2..)x-4y=4

color(white(--)

color(white)(-)8x-4y=4
color(black)(-)
color(white)(-)x-4y=4
...........................................
7x=0

divide by 7 on both sides

x=0

Now let's solve for y!

x-4y=4

substitute 0 for x

(0)-4y=4

-4y=4

divide by -4 on both sides

y=-1

To check our work, let's substitute x and y for 0 and -1 in the other equation.

4x-2y=2

4(0)-2(-1) should equal 2, if we did our math right...

0--2

2=2
We were right!!!

x=0, y=-1

Just to triple check, let's graph the equations and see where they intercept:

enter image source here

They cross at (0,-1), where x=0 and y=-1