In the system x + y = 5 and x - y = 1, what are the values of x and y?

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Multiple Choice

In the system x + y = 5 and x - y = 1, what are the values of x and y?

Solving a pair of linear equations by elimination: add the two equations to cancel out y, giving 2x = 6, so x = 3. Then plug that back into one equation to find y: 3 + y = 5 leads to y = 2. The pair x = 3 and y = 2 satisfies both equations, since 3 + 2 = 5 and 3 − 2 = 1. Other options fail because they don’t make the second equation true; for example, a combination that sums to five but has x − y equal to something other than 1 isn’t a solution. So the values are x = 3 and y = 2.

Solving a pair of linear equations by elimination: add the two equations to cancel out y, giving 2x = 6, so x = 3. Then plug that back into one equation to find y: 3 + y = 5 leads to y = 2. The pair x = 3 and y = 2 satisfies both equations, since 3 + 2 = 5 and 3 − 2 = 1. Other options fail because they don’t make the second equation true; for example, a combination that sums to five but has x − y equal to something other than 1 isn’t a solution. So the values are x = 3 and y = 2.

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