## anonymous one year ago The sum of two numbers is 170 and their difference is 26. Find the two numbers. Write the solution as an ordered pair.

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1. Michele_Laino

your problem can be modeled by the subsequent system: $\Large \left\{ \begin{gathered} m + n = 170 \hfill \\ m - n = 26 \hfill \\ \end{gathered} \right.$ where m, and n are the requested numbers

2. anonymous

how do i put it in an order pair

3. Michele_Laino

you have to compute their values, first

4. anonymous

i don't know how to do that

5. Michele_Laino

for example, solve the second equation for m, what do you get?

6. anonymous

i don't know

7. anonymous

is it 72 and 98?

8. Michele_Laino

another way, is: if I sum side by side those 2 equations together, I get: $\Large m + n + m - n = 170 + 26$ please simplify

9. Michele_Laino

Alternatively, in the $$special$$ case when sum and difference are given, we can do the following: bigger number = (sum+difference)/2 smaller number = (sum-difference)/2 For example: Given sum = 20, difference = 8 bigger number = (20+8)/2 = 14 smaller number = (20-8)/2 = 6