Solve {l}{6b+8=a}{a+b+6=119}

$$\left. \begin{array} { l } { 6 b + 8 = a } \\ { a + b + 6 = 119 } \end{array} \right.$$

Solve for b, a

$$b=15$$

$$a=98$$

Steps Using Substitution

Consider the first equation. Subtract a from both sides.

$$6b+8-a=0$$

Subtract 8 from both sides. Anything subtracted from zero gives its negation.

$$6b-a=-8$$

Consider the second equation. Subtract 6 from both sides.

$$a+b=119-6$$

Subtract 6 from 119 to get 113.

$$a+b=113$$

To solve a pair of equations using substitution, first solve one of the equations for one of the variables. Then substitute the result for that variable in the other equation.

$$6b-a=-8,b+a=113$$

Choose one of the equations and solve it for b by isolating b on the left hand side of the equal sign.

$$6b-a=-8$$

Add a to both sides of the equation.

$$6b=a-8$$

Divide both sides by 6.

$$b=\frac{1}{6}\left(a-8\right)$$

Multiply \frac{1}{6} times a-8.

$$b=\frac{1}{6}a-\frac{4}{3}$$

Substitute \frac{a}{6}-\frac{4}{3} for b in the other equation, b+a=113.

$$\frac{1}{6}a-\frac{4}{3}+a=113$$

Add \frac{a}{6} to a.

$$\frac{7}{6}a-\frac{4}{3}=113$$

Add \frac{4}{3} to both sides of the equation.

$$\frac{7}{6}a=\frac{343}{3}$$

Divide both sides of the equation by \frac{7}{6}, which is the same as multiplying both sides by the reciprocal of the fraction.

$$a=98$$

Substitute 98 for a in b=\frac{1}{6}a-\frac{4}{3}. Because the resulting equation contains only one variable, you can solve for b directly.

$$b=\frac{1}{6}\times 98-\frac{4}{3}$$

Multiply \frac{1}{6} times 98.

$$b=\frac{49-4}{3}$$

Add -\frac{4}{3} to \frac{49}{3} by finding a common denominator and adding the numerators. Then reduce the fraction to lowest terms if possible.

$$b=15$$

The system is now solved.

$$b=15,a=98$$

Steps Using Matrices

Consider the first equation. Subtract a from both sides.

$$6b+8-a=0$$

Subtract 8 from both sides. Anything subtracted from zero gives its negation.

$$6b-a=-8$$

Consider the second equation. Subtract 6 from both sides.

$$a+b=119-6$$

Subtract 6 from 119 to get 113.

$$a+b=113$$

Put the equations in standard form and then use matrices to solve the system of equations.

$$6b-a=-8,b+a=113$$

Write the equations in matrix form.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}6&-1\\1&1\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}-8\\113\end{matrix}\right)$$

Left multiply the equation by the inverse matrix of \left(\begin{matrix}6&-1\\1&1\end{matrix}\right).

$$inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}6&-1\\1&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}6&-1\\1&1\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}6&-1\\1&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}-8\\113\end{matrix}\right)$$

The product of a matrix and its inverse is the identity matrix.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}1&0\\0&1\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}6&-1\\1&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}-8\\113\end{matrix}\right)$$

Multiply the matrices on the left hand side of the equal sign.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=inverse(\left(\begin{matrix}6&-1\\1&1\end{matrix}\right))\left(\begin{matrix}-8\\113\end{matrix}\right)$$

For the 2\times 2 matrix \left(\begin{matrix}a&b\\c&d\end{matrix}\right), the inverse matrix is \left(\begin{matrix}\frac{d}{ad-bc}&\frac{-b}{ad-bc}\\\frac{-c}{ad-bc}&\frac{a}{ad-bc}\end{matrix}\right), so the matrix equation can be rewritten as a matrix multiplication problem.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}\frac{1}{6-\left(-1\right)}&-\frac{-1}{6-\left(-1\right)}\\-\frac{1}{6-\left(-1\right)}&\frac{6}{6-\left(-1\right)}\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}-8\\113\end{matrix}\right)$$

Do the arithmetic.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}\frac{1}{7}&\frac{1}{7}\\-\frac{1}{7}&\frac{6}{7}\end{matrix}\right)\left(\begin{matrix}-8\\113\end{matrix}\right)$$

Multiply the matrices.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}\frac{1}{7}\left(-8\right)+\frac{1}{7}\times 113\\-\frac{1}{7}\left(-8\right)+\frac{6}{7}\times 113\end{matrix}\right)$$

Do the arithmetic.

$$\left(\begin{matrix}b\\a\end{matrix}\right)=\left(\begin{matrix}15\\98\end{matrix}\right)$$

Extract the matrix elements b and a.

$$b=15,a=98$$

Steps Using Elimination

Consider the first equation. Subtract a from both sides.

$$6b+8-a=0$$

Subtract 8 from both sides. Anything subtracted from zero gives its negation.

$$6b-a=-8$$

Consider the second equation. Subtract 6 from both sides.

$$a+b=119-6$$

Subtract 6 from 119 to get 113.

$$a+b=113$$

In order to solve by elimination, coefficients of one of the variables must be the same in both equations so that the variable will cancel out when one equation is subtracted from the other.

$$6b-a=-8,b+a=113$$

To make 6b and b equal, multiply all terms on each side of the first equation by 1 and all terms on each side of the second by 6.

$$6b-a=-8,6b+6a=6\times 113$$

Simplify.

$$6b-a=-8,6b+6a=678$$

Subtract 6b+6a=678 from 6b-a=-8 by subtracting like terms on each side of the equal sign.

$$6b-6b-a-6a=-8-678$$

Add 6b to -6b. Terms 6b and -6b cancel out, leaving an equation with only one variable that can be solved.

$$-a-6a=-8-678$$

Add -a to -6a.

$$-7a=-8-678$$

Add -8 to -678.

$$-7a=-686$$

Divide both sides by -7.

$$a=98$$

Substitute 98 for a in b+a=113. Because the resulting equation contains only one variable, you can solve for b directly.

$$b+98=113$$

Subtract 98 from both sides of the equation.

$$b=15$$

The system is now solved.

$$b=15,a=98$$