Chapter 3.2

Objective:

To Learn How to solve 2 x 2 systems of equations

Steps:

1. Copy down problem and multiply one or both of the equations so that the coefficients of one variable only differ by sign.

a. (That should cancel that variable out)

2. With your new equation: solve for the left over variable.

3. Once you solve for this variable, plug it into one of the first equations.

a. (This will help you solve for the other variable, the one that you canceled out earlier)

4. Now you have the values of both variables, you have successfully solved the problem =]

* Just a Reminder: remember what exactly you are doing by solving these systems. Each equation is a line and the solution of the system is the point at which these lines intersect. (In the example below, the ordered pair -1, ½ is the point that the lines intersect.)