How do you find the solution of the system of equations x-2y=2 and y= -1/2x-5?

1 Answer
Jun 15, 2018

x = -4
y = -3

Explanation:

The second equation gives an expression for y in terms of x:

y = -1/2x - 5

This means that we can substitute the y in the first equation with that expression:

x-2color(red)(y)=2 \to x-2\color(red)((-1/2x - 5))=2

Rearrange this last expression:

x+x+10=2 \to 2x+10=2

Subtract 10 from both sides:

2x = -8

Divide both sides by 2:

x = -4

Now that we know x, we can use the expression for y to find it out:

y = -1/2\color(red)(x) - 5 = -1/2\color(red)((-4)) - 5 = 2-5 = -3