SEARCH HOME
 Math Central Quandaries & Queries
 Question from Kimi, a student: I am stuck on this,can someone please help me???? 1/2x+1/3y=11 8x+2/5y=102 Can someone please explain how to solve questions like these?? Or else I will never learn... Thank you

Hi Kimi,

First you need to take care of the way you type mathematics. When you type 1/2x I don't know if you mean $\frac{1}{2x}$ or $\frac{1}{2} x.$ I expect you mean $\frac{1}{2} x$ so you should type (1/2) x.

The subject line of your email was "Simultaneous equations with fractions" so I expect it is the fractions that are creating your dilemma I would start be eliminating the fractions. For example with your second equation

$8x + \frac25 y = 102$

the only denominator is 5 so I would multiply each side by 5 and simplify to get

$40x + 2y = 510.$

This equation is equivalent to your second equation but has no fractions.

In your first equation there are two denominators 2 and 3 so you can multiply by 2 and then by 3 to find an equivalent equation with no fractions but you can accomplish this in one step by multiplying both sides by $2 \times 3 = 6.$ Try it.

You should now have two equations with no fractions. Can you solve them?

Write back if you need more assistance,
Penny

Math Central is supported by the University of Regina and the Imperial Oil Foundation.