Solve simultaneously, 2x-3y=16 and x+2y=-6

In order to solve this we need to make two of the terms the same and use an elimination method so we are left with only one unknown rather than two. We will multiply x + 2y = -6 by 2 in order to get 2x + 4y = -12. Now we have 2x in both our equations. Since the signs of the 2x are the same (both are positive) we will subtract the equations from each other, therefore getting rid of the 2x term. By subtracting the equations from each other we are left with one equation, 28 = -7y. From this we can work out that y = -4. By substituting this value of y=-4 back into one of the original equations in the question we get x=2.