Key learning points

1. It is possible to find a solution that satisfies two equations with two unknowns by trial and error.
2. A more efficient method is to combine the two equations to create a third valid equation .
3. If the third equation contains only one unknown, it is easy to solve .
4. Once you know one of the unknowns, you can substitute to find the other .

Keywords

• Simultaneous equations - Equations which represent different relationships between the same variables are called simultaneous equations.

• Elimination - Elimination is a technique to help solve equations simultaneously and is where one of the variables in a problem is removed.

Common misconception