Help please Im confused

Question

The second of two numbers is 9 more than 4 times the first. Their sum is 89. Find the smaller number.

Answer 1

You have two numbers that you don't know their values. So let's just show them by x and y. There are two pieces of information in the question about x and y. The first one says y is 9 more than 4 times x. We can write this as an equation

y = 9 + 4*x

and the second information is about their sum which is 89, so

x + y = 89

just use these two equations two find x and y now. We can write the second equation as

x = 89 - y

and we now put x from equation two in the first equation

y = 9 + 4 * (89-y)

thus

y = 9 + 356 - 4*y

thus

5*y = 365

and y = 365/5 = 73

So we get

y = 73

Now we can use this to find x using any of the two equations. The second equation is simpler so we use that

x + y = 89

x + 73 = 89

x = 16

Answer 2

SO you have two numbers you are trying to determine. Lets call one X the other Y.

We know that the second number (Y) =9 more than 4 times the first(X). Make this an Equation.

Y=4X+9

Now its given that the sum of X+Y=89

Plug in the formula you just made!

X+(4X+9)=89 -Distribute

5X+9=89 -Subtract

5X=80 -Divide

X=14