How do you solve 8x = -2y - 10 and 2x = 4y using substitution?

1 Answer
May 10, 2016

(x,y)=color(blue)(""(-10/9,-5/9))

Explanation:

Given:
[1]color(white)("XXX")8x=-2y-10
[2]color(white)("XXX")2x=4y

Dividing both sides of [2] by 2
[3]color(white)("XXX")x=2y

From [3] we see that we can substitute 2y anywhere for x
and specifically we can substitute 2y for x in [1] to get
[4]color(white)("XXX")8(2y)=-2y-10

Simplifying:
[5]color(white)("XXX")16y=-2y-10

[6]color(white)("XXX")18y=-10

[7]color(white)("XXX")y=-5/9

We can now substitute (-5/9) for y in [3] to get
[8]color(white)("XXX")x=2(-5/9)=-10/9