At Westonci.ca, we connect you with the best answers from a community of experienced and knowledgeable individuals. Get accurate and detailed answers to your questions from a dedicated community of experts on our Q&A platform. Experience the convenience of finding accurate answers to your questions from knowledgeable experts on our platform.

The difference between two numbers is 12 and their sum is 26. Find the smallest number. A)9 B)7 C)-7 D)-9

Sagot :

Answer:

Step-by-step explanation:

We need a system of equations to solve for this. The first equation comes from "The difference between 2 numbers is 12". Difference means subtraction, the 2 numbers will be x and y, and the word "is" means equals:

x - y = 12

The second equation comes from "...their sum is 26". The numbers are still x and y but this time we have their sum, which is what they equal when they are added together. The word "is" means equals:

x + y = 26. So we will go back up to the first equation. If y taken away from x leaves a positive number, that means that y is smaller than x. We are looking for the value of the smaller number so we will find y. Solve the first equation for x to get it in terms of y:

x = 12 + y and we sub that into the second equation:

(12 + y) + y = 26 and

12 + 2y = 26 and

2y = 14 so

y = 7. Choice B is the one you want.