Why do we use simultaneous equations?

Simultaneous equations are used to help us find unknown values. An example of simultaneous equations is:1) x + y = 62) 2x + 3y = 16We don't know what the value or X or Y is but we know that together they make 6. This is the same as if you buy an apple and an orange for £6, but you don't know how much the apple or orange costs individually. Therefore, we use another equation to help us work this out. We can then rearrange equations to find the value for X and Y in turn, and therefore the cost of an individual apple or orange. rearranging (1) gives x = 6 - y which we can substitute into equation (2) to give 2(6 -y) + 3y = 1612 - 2y +3y = 1612 + y = 16 y = 4 therefore, x = 6 - 2 x = 2We have used simultaneous equations to find two unknown values!

Answered by Amelia G. Maths tutor

2388 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How to add fractions


Tom thinks of a number. He squares it, adds 3 times the original number and then subtracts 18. The result is 0. What two numbers could Tom have been thinking of?


The line L1 is given by the Equation y =3x+5, and the line L2 is given by the Equation 4y-12x+16=0. Show that the lines L1 and L2 are Parallel


How do I do algebra when there is an x on both sides?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2024

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences