How do I approach simultaneous equations with 2 unknowns?

The two common ways to approach them is either by substitution or addition/subtraction. Firstly, for substitution, rearrange one of your equation so that one of the unknowns becomes the subject and then substitute this into the second equation. Then solve that unknown and substitute back in to the original equations to find the other unknown.
Secondly, for addition or subtraction, either subtract or add the equations together in such a way that one of the unknowns are removed. This will leave one unknown so that it can be solved. Once solved, substitute back into the original equations to get an answer for the other unknown.

LS
Answered by Louis S. Maths tutor

2447 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

An amount of money was invested for 8 years. It earned compound interest at 2.5% per year. After 8 years the total value of the investment was £11,696.67. Work out the total interest earned.


Bob lives 2km away from Alice and the school is 1km away from Bob. Alice sets off to meet Bob at 8am and she meets him at 8:15 and they carry on walking at the same pace. School starts at 8:20. Do they get to school on time? How early/late are they?


gradient and differentiation


For all values of x, f(x) = (x + 1)^2 and g(x) = 2(x-1). Show that gf(x) = 2x(x + 2).


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning