NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2

Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

1. With a machine the effort E in newtons required to overcome a load L in newtons is

given by the equation E  a  b L , where a and b are constants. It is found that an
effort of 5 N is required to overcome a load of 8N and an effort of 7N to overcome a load
of 12 N. Determine the values of the constants by using Cramer’s rule.

2. A calculation of the stresses in the steel bars and concrete of a reinforced concrete
column leads to the following pair of equations :

200  103  29700  106  c  300  106  s

c s
9

20  10 200  109

with the stresses  s and  c being in pascals. Determine the stresses by using
Cramer’s rule.

3. The forces F1 , F2 , F3 in newtons, in a framework in equilibrium are related by the

following equations:
3F1  2 F2 cos 60   2 F3  12
4 F1 sin 30   2 F2  F3  2 cos 60 
2 F1 cos 60   2 F2  6 F3 sin 30   12

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

Determine the values of the forces.

4. Kirchhoff’s voltage law when applied to a circuit with three meshes gives the
following three equations :

2 I1  8( I1  I 2 )  40
8 ( I 2  I1 )  6 I 2  6( I 2  I 3 )  0
6 ( I 3  I 2 )  4 I 3  20

with the three currents being in amperes.

i) Determine the currents by using Cramer’s rule
ii) Check the result in (4i) by using inverse matrix method.
.
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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

5. The currents i1 , i2 and i3 in the star-connection shown in figure below are given
by the following simultaneous equations :

Z1i1  Z 2i2  e1  e2
Z 2i2  Z 3i3  e2  e3
i1  i2  i3  0

Solve the equations for the three currents by using Cramer’s rule.

6. Find matrix X if

1 2 
1 0    2 1 1 3 5 
a) X .   0  1 b)  .X   
3 1   4 3 7 9 11
1 2 

2  1   3 4 2  1 2
c) 0 2 . X   2 0 
  d) 1 1 . X   7 
 

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

1  2  3 2 1 2  11

 2 1  1 4 7  3
7. For A   1 2 1  and B    1  2 1  , calculate AB and hence

 0 6 1   6 12  5

4a  7b  3c  8
solve the system of equations  a  2b  c  3
6 a  12b  5c  15

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

2 1  1 2 0 3
8. Given A , B  and C  , find X if AXB  C
0 1  1 0 1 2

9. By using inverse matrix method, solve the following system of equations .

4 7
 9
x  1 4(2  y )
3 7
 7
2( x  1) (2  y)

1 1
(Hint : Let u  and v  )
x 1 2 y

10. In 2-dimensional geometry 2 x  3 y  5 represents a straight line with

2
slope  .
3

2x  3y  5
a) Use elementary row operation on the system to show that it
2 x  3 y  11

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

 2 3 5
reduces to   . What does the second row indicate ?
 0 0 6

What is the geometrical significance of your result ?

2x  3y  5
b) Use elementary row operation on the system to show that it
4 x  6 y  10

 2 3 5
reduces to   . What does the second row indicate ?
 0 0 0

Explain geometrically.

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

2 x  ky  11
11. For what value of k does the system have a unique solution ?
4x  8y  1
Discuss the case when the system does not have a unique solution ?

12. Solve the following 2  2 system of linear equations by using elementary row
operations.

3 x  4 y  2 x  3y  5
a) b)
5x  3 y  7 4 x  12 y  k , k is a constant

2x  y  4
c)
4 x  ky  8, k is a constant

13. Solve the following 2  3 system of linear equations by using elementary row

operations.

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

3x  y  2 z  10 x  2y  z  5
a) b)
x  2 y  z  4 2 x  4 y  2 z  16

x  2 y  3z  6 8 x  y  3z  0
c) d)
3x  6 y  9 z  18  2x  3y  2z

x  2y  z  6
14. Discuss the possible solutions of , where k is real number.
2 x  4 y  kz  12

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

15. Solve each of the following 3  3 system of linear equations by using

Gauss–Elimination Method.

2 x  y  3 z  17 2x  4 y  z  1 x  2y  z  4
a) 2 x  2 y  5z  4 b) 3 x  5 y  1 c) 3 x  2 y  z  7
3 x  2 y  2 z  10 5 x  13 y  7 z  4 5 x  2 y  3 z  11

2x  y  z  3
16. Consider the system of equations mx  2 y  z  1
x  2 y  mz  1

a) Write the system in augmented matrix form and reduce it by elementary row

1 2 m  1
 
operations to the echelon form , 0    
0 0   

b) For what value(s) of m does the system have no solutions ?

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

c) For what value(s) of m does the system has infinitely many solutions.

d) For what value(s) of m does the system have a unique solution ?

17. a) Find all solutions of the system of equations

2 x  y  3 z  90
3 x  2 y  z  81
5 x  2 z  104

by using Gauss–Jordan Method.

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

b) Westfield school bought two cricket balls, one softball and three netballs
for a total cost of RM90. Southvale school bought three cricket balls,
two softballs and a netball for a cost of RM81. Eastside school bought
five cricket balls and two netballs for RM104.

i) State clearly what variables x , y , z must represent if this situation is to

be described by the set of equations considered in (7a).

ii) If Northtown high needs 4 cricket balls, 5 softballs and wishes to order
as many netballs as they can afford, how many netballs will they be
able to purchase if there is a total of RM 615 to be spent ?

18. Herbert and Agnes had plotted three points on the graph of a quadratic

function. Unfortunately, they forgot the original function and were unable to

plot any more points. Given that the points were (1,-3), (3, -5) and (-2,-15) ,

can you help the two poor students complete the table of values below ?

X -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

Y -15 -3 -5

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

19. A mixed nut company uses cashews, macadamias and brazil nuts to make 3
gourmet mixes. The table below indicates the weigh in hundreds of grams of
each kind of nut required to make a kilogram of mix.

Cashews Macadamias Brazil Nuts

Mix A 5 3 2

Mix B 2 4 4

Mix C 6 1 3

If 1 kg of mix A costs RM 12.50 to produce, 1 kg of mix B costs RM 12.40 and

1 kg of mix C costs RM 11.70,

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

a) determine the cost per kilogram of each of the different kinds of nuts.

b) Hence, find the cost per kilogram to produce a mix containing 400 grams
of cashews, 200 grams of macadamias and 400 grams of brazil nuts.

20. Susan and James opened a new business in 1988. Their annual profit was RM
160,000 in 1991, RM198,000 in 1992 and RM 240,000 in 1993. Based on
the information from these three years, they believe that their annual profit
c
could be predicted by the model P (t )  at  b  Ringgit Malaysia where
t4
t is the number of years after 1991, i.e., t  0 gives the 1991 profit.

a) Determine the values of a, b and c which fit the profits for 1991, 1992

and 1993.

b) If the profit in 1990 was RM130,000, does this profit fit the model in (a) ?

c) Susan and James believe their profit will continue to grow according to this

model. Predict their profit in 1994 and 1996.

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

ANSWERS

1. a 1, b  0.5

2.  c  6.12  106 Pascals ,  s  61.2  106 Pascals

5 31
3. F1  N, F2  1 N , F3  N,
7 7

4. I1  5.6 A, I 2  2.0 A, I 3  0.80 A

Z 2 (e1  e3 )  Z 3 (e1  e2 )
5. i1 
Z 2 Z 3  Z 3 Z1  Z1Z 2

Z 1 (e2  e3 )  Z 3 (e2  e1 )
i2 
Z 2 Z 3  Z 3 Z1  Z1Z 2

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

Z 1 (e3  e2 )  Z 2 (e3  e1 )
i3 
Z 2 Z 3  Z 3 Z1  Z 1 Z 2

 5 2 
  2 0 2
6. a) X   3  1 b) X   
 5 2   5 3 1

 1 2  3
c) X   d) X   
 1 0   4

7. AB  I , a  2, b  1, c  3

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

1 3  1 1
8. X  4 4 9. x , y
 1 0  2 4

10. a) The second row indicates that the system has no solution. The original

lines are parallel.

b) The second row indicates that the system has infinitely many solutions.

The original lines are coincident.

11. If k  4 , there is a unique solution. If k  4 , there is no solution.

22 31
12. a) x  , y
29 29

b) if k  20 , there is no solution.

If k  20 , the system has infinitely many solutions where

y  t , x  5  3 t , t any real number

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

c) if k  2, x  2, y  0 , .

If k  2 , there are infinitely many solutions of the form

x  t, y  4  2 t , (t is real number)

13. a) x  18  5 t , y  t , z  7 t  22 ( t is real )

b) No solution

c) x  6  2 s  3 t , y  s, z  t ( s, t are real )

7t 5t
d) x , y  , z  t ( t is real )
22 11

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

14. If k  2, x  6  t  2 s, y  s, z  t , ( s, t are real ) , .

If k  2, x  6  2t , y  t , z  0, ( t is real )

15. a) x  4, y  3, z  2

1  5t 1  2t
b) x  , y  t, z  , ( t is real)
3 3

c) No solution, system inconsistent

1 2 m 1 
 2 
16. a) 0  2(m  1) 1 m 1 m 
0 0  (m  1)(m  5) 7(m  1)

b) if m  5 , no solution

c) if m  1, there are infinitely many solutions.

d) if m  1 or  5 , the system has a unique solution.

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

17. a) x  14, y  11, z  17

b) i) x is the cost of a cricket ball, y is the cost of a softball,

z is the cost of a netball

ii) 29 netballs.

18. y   x 2  3x  5

X -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

Y -23 -15 -9 -5 -3 -3 -5

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 NCB 10103 : MATHEMATICS FOR ENGINEERS 1 Tutorial 2
Solving System of Linear Equations (Matrices)

19. a) Cashews RM 12 per kg, Macadamias RM 15 per kg, Brazil Nuts RM 10 per kg

b) RM 11.80

20. a) a  50,000 b  100,000 c  240,000

b) Yes

c) RM 284,285.71 (for year 1994)

RM 376,666.67 (for year 1996)

Mathematics Unit, Technical Foundation, UniKL MFI

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