Business Math

Linear Equations
A linear equation is an equation for a straight line
These are all linear equations:
y = 2x+1

5x = 6+3y

Example:
y = 2x+1 is a linear equation:

The graph of y = 2x+1 is a straight line

These are linear equations:

y = 3x - 6
y - 2 = 3(x + 1)
y + 2x - 2 = 0
5x = 6
y/2 = 3

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y/2 = 3 - x

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Systems of Linear Equations

A System of Equations is when we have two or more
equations working together. Or A set of equations is
called a system of equations. The solutions must satisfy
each equation in the system. If all equations in a system
are linear, the system is a system of linear equations. A
solution to a system of equations is an ordered pair that
satisfies all the equations in the system.
A system of linear equations can have:
Exactly one solution
No solutions
Infinitely many solutions
There are several ways to solve systems of linear
equations:
By graphing
By substitution
By elimination

Solving Systems by Graphing:

When solving a system by graphing:
Find ordered pairs that satisfy each of the equations.
Plot the ordered pairs and sketch the graphs of both
equations on the same axis.
The coordinates of the point or points of intersection
of the graphs are the solution or solutions to the
system of equations.

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One solution the lines will have different slopes.
No solution the lines will have the same slope, but
different intercepts.
Infinitely many solutions the lines will have the
same slope and the same intercept

Substitution Method:
Procedure for Substitution Method
Solve one of the equations for one of the variables.
Substitute the expression found in step 1 into the
other equation.
Now solve for the remaining variable.
Substitute the value from step 2 into the equation
written in step 1, and solve for the remaining
variable.
Example 1:

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Example 2

Additional Method
Example:
With two variable
Solve the following system using addition.

2x + y = 9
3x y = 16
Note that, if I add down, the y's will cancel out. So I'll
draw an "equals" bar under the system, and add down:

2x + y = 9
3x y = 16
5x
= 25
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Now I can divide through to solve for x = 5, and then
back-solve, using either of the original equations, to find
the value of y. The first equation has smaller numbers, so
I'll back-solve in that one:

2(5) + y = 9
10 + y = 9
y = 1
Then the solution is (x, y) = (5, 1).
It doesn't matter which equation you use for the
backsolving; you'll get the same answer either way.

3(5) y = 16
15 y = 16
y = 1
y = 1
Which is the same result as before?

Gaussian Elimination method

Example:
With three variable
Solve the following system of equations.

5x + 4y z = 0
10y 3z = 11
z=3

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It's fairly easy to see how to proceed in this case. I'll just
back-substitute the z-value from the third equation into
the second equation, solve the result for y, and then
plug z and y into the first equation and solve the result
for x.

(1)
10y
10y
10y
y

3(3) = 11
9 = 11
= 20
=2

(2)
5x
5x
5x
5x
x

+
+
+
=
=

4(2) (3) = 0
83=0
5=0
5
1

Then the solution is (x, y, z) = (1, 2, 3).

The reason this system was easy to solve is that the
system was "triangular"; this refers to the equations
having the form of a triangle, because of the lower
equations containing only the later variables.

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Applications of linear equations

Two small pitchers and one large pitcher can hold 8 cups
of water. One large pitcher minus one small pitcher
constitutes 2 cups of water. How many cups of water can
each pitcher hold?

Solution:
Let x = small pitcher
y = large pitcher

2x + y = 8
y-x=2
Solve by any method mentioned.
If done algebraically:

2x + y = 8
-x + y = 2
subtract:

3x = 6
x=2
The small pitcher holds 2 cups of water.

2(2) + y = 8
4+y=8
y=4
the large pitcher holds 4 cups of water.

2. A test has twenty questions worth 100 points.

The
test consists of True/False questions worth 3 points each
and multiple choice questions worth 11 points each. How
many multiple choice questions are on the test?
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Solution:
Let x = T/F questions
Let y = Multiple Choice questions

x + y = 20
3x + 11y = 100
Solve by any method mentioned.
Algebraically:

x + y = 20
3x + 11y = 100
3(x + y = 20)
3x + 11 y = 100
3x + 3y = 60
3x + 11y = 100
-8y = -40
8y = 40
y=5
There are 5 multiple choice questions.

x + 5 = 20
x = 15
There are 15 T/F questions.

3. Margie is responsible for buying a week's supply of food and

medication for the dogs and cats at a local shelter. The food and
medication for each dog costs twice as much as those supplies for a cat.
She needs to feed 164 cats and 24 dogs. Her budget is $4240. How
much can Margie spend on each dog for food and medication?
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Solution:
Let c = cost per cat
Let d = cost per dog

164c + 24d = 4240

d = 2c
Solve by any method mentioned.
With substitution:

164c + 24d = 4240

d = 2c
164c + 24(2c) = 4240
164c + 48c = 4240
212c = 4240
c = 20
She can spend $20 on each cat.

d = 2c
d = 2(20) = 40
She can spend $40 on each dog.

4. The equations 5x + 2y = 48 and 3x + 2y = 32

represent the money collected from school concert tickets
sales during two class periods. If X represents the cost
for each adult ticket and Y represents the cost for each
student ticket, what is the cost for each adult ticket?

Solution:
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Solve the system simultaneously. Various methods of
solution can be used. One method is shown here.

5x + 2y = 48
3x + 2y = 32
subtracting gives: 2x = 16
and x = 8.
The cost of an adult ticket is $8.
5. A landscaping company placed two orders with a
nursery. The first order was for 13 bushes and 4 trees,
and totalled $487. The second order was for 6 bushes
and 2 trees, and totalled$232. The bills do not list the peritem price. What were the costs of one bush and of one
tree?
Solution:
I could try to add the bushes and trees, to get 19 bushes
and 6 trees, but this wouldn't get me anywhere, because I
don't have subtotals for the bushes and trees. So I'll pick
variables ("b" for the number of bushes and "t" for the
number of trees) and set up a system of equations:

13b + 4t = 487
second order: 6b + 2t = 232
First order:

Multiplying the second row by 2, I get:

13b + 4t = 487
12b 4t = 464
This says that b = 23. Back-solving, I get that t = 47. Of
course, the exercise didn't ask for the values of the two
variables. Translating back into English, the solution is:
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Bushes cost $23 each; trees cost $47 each.

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