Eugene wrote a riddle: A positive number is 5 less than another positive number. Six times the lesser number minus 3 times the greater number is 3. Find the two positive numbers.

Question

please show work. thank you!

Answer 1

Hi Magic! Whenever you have these, you need to set up 2 math sentences and sub the value of one variable into the other to solve...

Here, they tell you that X = Y - 5

But they also tell you that 6X - 3Y = 3

Now you can sub and solve!