Book 2A Lesson Worksheet 5D (Refer to §5.

3B)

5.3B Method of Elimination

To solve simultaneous equations by the method of elimination:

Step1
1: Make the coefficients of one of the two unknowns (e.g. y) in both equations equal in
magnitude but opposite in sign (or equal in both magnitude and sign).
Step2
2: Add (or subtract) the two equations obtained to eliminate the unknown (y) in Step1
1.
Step3
3: Solve the linear equation in one unknown (x) obtained.
Step4
4: Substitute the result obtained in Step3
3 into one of the two original equations to find
the remaining unknown (y).
Step5
5: Write down the solution of the simultaneous equations.

Example 1 Instant Drill 1

2 x + y = 11 ....... (1) Step1 1:  x + 3 y = 22 .......... (1) The coefficients
Solve 
The coefficients of y Solve  of x are equal in
2 x − y = 5 ......... (2) are equal in  x − 2 y = 7 ............ (2) both magnitude
by the method of elimination. magnitude but by the method of elimination. and sign.
Sol opposite in sign.
(1): x + 3y = 22
(1) + (2): 4x = 16
Step22: Sol (2): x − 2y = 7
(1): 2x + y = 11 (1) − (2):
x=4
(1) − (2):
(2): 2x − y = 5
Substitute x = 4 into (1).
(1) + (2): 4x = 16
2(4) + y = 11 Step3
3 Substitute ___________ into ____.
8 + y = 11 Step4
4

y=3
∴ The solution is x = 4, y = 3.
Step 5
∴ The solution is x = ,y= .

 x + y = 6 ................... (1) 5 y = 8 + x ................. (1)

1. Solve  2. Solve 
4 x − y = 14 ................ (2) 2 y = 5 + x ................. (2)
by the method of elimination. by the method of elimination.

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 2 y + 3 x = −3 ................... (1) − 6m + 7 n + 12 = 0 ............... (1)
3. Solve  4. Solve 
3 x + 4 y = 15 .................... (2) 5n + 6m = 0 ......................... (2)
by the method of elimination. by the method of elimination.
Compare the
coefficients of x
in (1) and (2).

○→ Ex 5D 1–14
5. Solve 2x + y = 3x − y + 15 = 0 by the 6. Solve h − 4k + 2 = 4k + h = 0 by the
method of elimination. method of elimination.

Rewrite the given equations as:

 ............ (1)

 ............ (2)

○→ Ex 5D 15, 16
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7. Solve the following simultaneous equations by any algebraic method.
 x = 11 + 7 y 7 x = 8 − 3 y Which method, substitution
(a)  (b)  or elimination, will make the
3 y + x = 1 5 x = 16 + 3 y calculation easier?

○→ Ex 5D 17–24
 Level Up Questions
8 x − y = 25
8. Solve  by the methods of substitution and elimination respectively.
6 x + y = 3

9. (a) Multiply the equation x − 5y = 10 by a non-zero constant such that the coefficient of x
becomes 4. Write down the equation obtained.
 x − 5 y = 10
(b) Hence, solve the simultaneous equations  by the method of elimination.
4 x − 7 y = 1

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5 Linear Equations in Two Unknowns

Consolidation Exercise 5D 
Level 1
Solve the following simultaneous equations by the method of elimination. [Nos. 1−16]
 x − y = −8 3 x + 2 y = −3
1.  2. 
x + y = 4 3 x − 2 y = 9

6 x = 11 + y 2 x − 5 y = −12
3.  4. 
3 x = 16 − y − 3 x + 5 y = 33

3 x = 5 − 4 y 2 p = 5 − 3q
5.  6. 
5 x = −13 + 4 y 5q − 2 p = −13

3a − 5b = 4 5c + d = −7
7.  8. 
− 3a = 7b − 16 3c + d = 1

h − 10k = 7 7 x − 3 y = 15
9.  10. 
h − 4k = 25 5 x − 3 y = 27

4u + 5v = 29 8h + 7 = −3k

11.  12. 
4u − 3v − 21 = 0 8h + 31 = 5k

13. a − b = 4a + b + 10 = 0 14. c + 3d − 14 = c + d = 0

15. 4v − 3u = 3u + 6v = −15 16. 2x + 5y − 4 = 4x + 5y = 0

Solve the following simultaneous equations by any algebraic method. [Nos. 17−24]

b = 2a − 5 2 h + k = 3
17.  18. 
a + b = 7 5h − k = −24

m = 2 n − 1 a = 7b + 13
19.  20. 
m = 5 − 2 n 6a = 7b + 8

x + 4 y = 0 2 p + 3q = 10
21.  22. 
x − 8 y = 3 − 2 p + 4q = 11

3s + 5r = 2 5u + 9v − 2 = 0
23.  24. 
5r − 2 = s 5u − 9v + 2 = 0
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 Level 2
Solve the following simultaneous equations by the method of elimination. [Nos. 25−32]

3a − 2b = −13 2 h − k = 3
25.  26. 
a + 3b = 14 3h + 4k = 10

3m + 4n = −2 3 x + 10 y = 16
27.  28. 
 − 5m + 2 n = − 1 2 x + 9 y = 6

5 p − 4q = 3 2 r − 5 s = 8
29.  30. 
 4 p − 5q = 6 4 s + 3r = −34

31. 2x − y = 4x + 3y − 5 = 0 32. 5a − 14 = 2a + 5b − 17 = 2b

Solve the following simultaneous equations by any algebraic method. [Nos. 33−40]

2 x + y + 3 = 0 2 x = 5 y
33.  34. 
3 x − 4 y − 1 = 0 6 x − 10 y = 3

 2h + k 2
 3 = 5  7 m = 3 − n
35.  36. 
 h − 3k = 1  4 m − 2n + 10 = 0
 4  7

 p + 0.5q = 10 0.4 x − 0.6 y = 5

37.  38. 
0.5 p − q = 20  x − 6 y = −4

39. 7k + 4(2 − h) = 7h + 4k − 14 = 0 40. 2(r + s) + 3r − 13 = 3(r + 2s) + 17 = 8

2u − 3v = 9
41. (a) Solve  .
5u − 4v − 5 = 0

2( x + y ) − 3( x − y ) = 9
(b) Hence, solve  .
5( x + y ) − 4( x − y ) − 5 = 0

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Consolidation Exercise 5D (Answer)
1. x = −2, y = 6 2. x = 1, y = −3 1
27. m = 0, n = − 28. x = 12, y = −2
3. x = 3, y = 7 4. x = −21, y = −6 2
5. x = −1, y = 2 6. p = 4, q = −1 29. p = −1, q = −2 30. r = −6, s = −4
7. a = 3, b = 1 8. c = −4, d = 13 1
31. x = , y = 1 32. a = 4, b = 3
9. h = 37, k = 3 10. x = −6, y = −19 2
11. u = 6, v = 1 12. h = −2, k = 3 3 3
33. x = −1, y = −1 34. x = ,y=
13. a = −2, b = −2 14. c = −7, d = 7 2 5
8 7
15. u = 1, v = −3 16. x = −2, y = 35. h = 7, k = 1 36. m = − , n = 4
5 2
17. a = 4, b = 3 18. h = −3, k = 9 11
37. p = 16, q = −12 38. x = 18, y =
3 3
19. m = 2, n = 20. a = −1, b = −2 9
2 39. h = 2, k = 0 40. r = 6, s = −
1 1 2
21. x = 1, y = − 22. p = , q = 3
4 2 41. (a) u = −3, v = −5
2 2
23. r= ,s=0 24. u = 0, v = (b) x = −4, y = 1
5 9
25. a = −1, b = 5 26. h = 2, k = 1

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