How would I solve a linear simultaneous equation?

When presented with a simultaneous equation, you need to find out the values of the letters (commonly x and y). You might be given two equations such as: a) 2x + 4y = 6, and b) -4x - 3y = 3. The first thing to do is to match up the x values in both equations, for example, you could times equation a) by 2, to get a new equation c) 4x + 8y = 12. Then you would plus or minus one equation from the other until the x value is eliminated, so here, you could add b) and c) to get 0x + 5y = 15. Then solve the remaining equation: 5y=15, so y=3 (dividing both sides by 5). Now that you have a y value, substitute it back into one of the original equations, such as a), to get: 2x + 4(3) = 6, which becomes: 2x + 12 = 6. Then rearrange until you have x on one side, making: 2x = -6. Then divide both sides by 2 to get x = -3. Therefore, the solution to these equations is: x = -3, and y = 3.