Three times a number minus another number is -3. The sum of the numbers is 11. What are the numbers?

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Answer 1 · 2018-04-11T08:41:05

Please look below.

Three times a number minus another number is #-3# :

#3a - b = -3# ---(1)

The sum of the numbers is #11# :

#a + b = 11# ---(2)

(1) + (2) :

#(3a-b) + (a + b) = (-3) + (11)#

#4a = 8#

#a = 2#

#a# substituted into (2):

#(2) + b = 11#

#b = 9#

Therefore the two numbers are #2# and #9#.