Problems involving

System of Linear Equations

 “I have two numbers. Their difference
is 3 and their sum is 13. What are the
two numbers?”

ANSWER: The numbers are 8 and 5.

What’s the System?
Ex 1. Form a system of linear equations that describes the problem below.
𝒙+𝒚 =𝟓 𝟐𝒙

+ 𝟑𝒚
= 𝟏𝟐

Let x – the first number TRANSLATION:

y – the second number 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 5  Equation 1
2𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 12  Equation 2
What’s the System?
Ex 2. Form a system of linear equations that describes the problem below.
𝒙−𝒚 =𝟒 𝟑𝒙

+ 𝟐𝒚 = 𝟐𝟖

Let x – the first number TRANSLATION:

y – the second number 𝑥 − 𝑦 = 4  Equation 1
3𝑥 + 2𝑦 = 28  Equation 2
What’s the System?
Ex 3. Form a system of linear equations that describes the problem below.
𝟑𝒙 − 𝒚

𝒙+𝒚
=𝟓

= 𝟓𝟓

TRANSLATION:
Let x – age of Mark
y – age of his mother
3𝑥 − 𝑦 = 5  Equation 1
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 55  Equation 2
Number Relation Problem
Ex 1. Find two numbers such that their difference is 3
and their sum is 13.
Let x – be the number To check:
y – be the other number 𝑥−𝑦 =3 Eq. 1
8−5=3
𝒙−𝒚=𝟑 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 13 3=3
+
𝒙 + 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟑 8 + 𝑦 = 13
2𝑥 = 16 𝑦 = 13 − 8 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 13 Eq. 2
2 2 8 + 5 = 13
𝑥 =8 𝑦 =5 13 = 13
The two numbers are 8 and 5.
 Age Problem
• Ex 2. Gemma is 5 years older than Donna. The sum
of their ages now is 45. How old is each now?
Let x – age of Gemma
To check:
y – age of Donna 𝑥 = 𝑦 + 5 Eq. 1
25 = 20 + 5
𝒙 = 𝒚 + 𝟓 Eq. 1 Step 2 Step 3
25 = 25
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 45 Eq. 2 𝑥 = 𝑦 + 5 Eq. 1
𝒙 + 𝒚 = 𝟒𝟓 Eq. 2 𝑦 + 5 + 𝑦
= 45 𝑥 = 20 + 5 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 45 Eq. 2
Step 1 𝑦 + 𝑦 = 45 − 5 𝑥 = 25 20 + 25 = 45
𝑥 =𝑦+5 Eq. 1 2𝑦 = 40 45 = 45
2 2 Gemma is now 25 years old
𝑦 = 20 and Donna is 20 years old.
Money Problem
• Ex 3. At a bargain sale in SM Department Store, Rosy paid P250
for 3 hairbands and 4 hairclips. Her friend Fely paid P290 for
3 hairbands and 5 hairclips. What is the price of one hairband
and one hairclip?
Let x – price of one hairband The price of hairband is P30 To check:
y – price of one hairclip and the price of hairclip is P40. 3𝑥 + 4𝑦 = 250 Eq. 1
3(30) + 4(40) = 250
𝟑𝒙 + 𝟒𝒚 = 𝟐𝟓𝟎 3𝑥 + 4𝑦 = 250 90 + 160 = 250
− 3𝑥 + 4(40 ) = 250 250 = 250
𝟑𝒙 + 𝟓𝒚 = 𝟐𝟗𝟎
3𝑥 + 160 = 250
−𝑦 = −40 3𝑥 + 5𝑦 = 290 Eq. 2
3𝑥 = 250 − 160 3(30) + 5(40) = 290
−1 −1
3𝑥 = 90 90 + 200 = 290
𝑦 = 40 𝑥 = 30 290 = 290
 • Ex 4. There are animals in the barn. Some are chickens
and some are pigs. There are 92 legs and 28 heads
in all. How many of each animal are there?
Let x – the number of chickens
y – the number of pigs

𝟐𝒙 + 𝟒𝒚 = 𝟗𝟐 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 28
+ 2𝑥 + 4𝑦 = 92
−2 𝒙 + 𝒚 = 𝟐𝟖 − 2 −2𝑥 −2𝑦 = −56 𝑥+ 18 = 28
2𝑦 = 36 𝑥 = 28 −18
2 2 𝑥 = 10
𝑦 = 18
There are 10 chickens and 18 pigs in the barn.
Money Problem
• Ex 5. Conchita has 39 five-peso and one-peso coins in her purse.
If she has P123 worth of coins, how many of each kind
does she have?
Let x - the number of five-peso coins
y - the number of one-peso coins

𝒙 + 𝒚 = 𝟑𝟗 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 39
−
𝟓𝒙 + 𝒚 = 𝟏𝟐𝟑 21 +𝑦 = 39
−4𝑥 = −84 𝑦 = 39 − 21
−4 −4 𝑦 = 18
𝑥 = 21 There are 21 five-peso coins and 18 one-peso coins.
 Geometry Problem
• Ex 6. The length of a rectangle is four less than three times its
width. If the perimeter of the rectangle is 88 centimeters,
what are the dimensions of the rectangle?
Let x - the length of the rectangle
y - the width of the rectangle
𝒙 = 𝟑𝒚 − 𝟒 Eq. 1 Step 2 Step 3
𝟐𝒙 + 𝟐𝒚 = 𝟖𝟖 Eq. 2 2𝑥 + 2𝑦 = 88 Eq. 2 𝑥 = 3𝑦 − 4
2(3𝑦 − 4) + 2𝑦 = 88 𝑥 = 3(12) − 4
Step 1 6𝑦 − 8 +2𝑦 = 88 𝑥 = 36 − 4
𝑥 = 3𝑦 − 4 Eq. 1 6𝑥 +2𝑦 = 88 + 8 𝑥 = 32
8𝑦 = 96 The length of the rectangle
𝑦 = 12 is 32 cm and its width is 12 cm.
Drill___:
Solve each problem using system of linear equations.
1. Belle’s Garage sale, 4 books and 3 magazines cost P34
while 2 books and 5 magazines costs P24. What is the
selling price of a book and a magazine?

2. Gary is 5 years older than Harry. Twenty-nine years ago,

Gary was twice as old as Harry. How old are they now?

3. The total price for 4 nuts and 3 bolts is 48 cents and the
total price for 3 nuts and 2 bolts is 34 cents. What is the
price of each?