Help with math

Question

Two angles are supplementary of their sum is 180degrees. The larger angle measures five degrees more than six times the measure of a smaller angle. If x represents the measure of the smaller angle and these two angles are supplementary, find the measure of each angle 

Answer 1

Let x equal the measure of the smaller angle.

Let y equal the measure of the larger angle.

 

x + y = 180 (since the two angles are supplementary)

 

y = 6x + 5 (Turn the sentence from the problem into a "mathematical sentence" - an equation.  "Six times the measure of the smaller angle" is "6x".  "Five degrees more than" means "add 5".

 

Now you have a system of equations, with two equations and two unknowns.

 

Solve the system of equations.  (Substitution method or elimination method)