Maths question

3x + 8y = 4
3x + 2y = -2
(3x-3x) + (8y-2y) = (4 - -2)

Thanks ozo!!

However, I probably didnt word it right

3x + 8y = 4
3x + 2y = -2

the x and both lines need to be the same value as does the y to get the answer... make sense?

The 2 x values and the 2 y values must be the same but the x and the y could be different. So one way to solve this would be to take one of the equations and get it so one letter is on a side by itself.

3x+8y=4
8y=4-3x
y = (4-3x)/8

Now since you know what y is you can plug that into the second line.

From 3x+2y=-2 you get
3x+2*[(4-3x)/8]=-2
Then you can solve this algebraically to find that x is -4/3.

Now you can take that and plug it back into either one of the equations to be able to  solve for y.

3x + 8y = 4
so: 3x = 4 -8y

3x + 2y = -2
so: 3x = -2 -2y

therefore:
4 - 8y = -2 -2y
so: 6 = 6y
so: y=1

therefore: 3x = -2 -2
so: 3x = -4
so: x = -4/3

RESULT: x=-4/3 and y=1

I'm confused by the accepted solution. That wasn't an answer to your question!

I guess the intended question wasn't the question some of us thought it was.