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Solving Systems of Linear Equations by Elimination


A second strategy for solving systems of linear equations algebraically is called elimination. The general strategy for solving a system of equations by elimination is:

  1. Rearrange one or both equations until they are in the same format.
  2. Multiply one or both equations by a constant such that the absolute value of the coefficient on one variable is the same in both equations.
  3. Add or subtract the two equations to eliminate one variable.
  4. Solve the new equation to determine the value of one variable.
  5. Substitute the known value into one of the original equations to determine the value of the other variable.
  6. Verify the solution using the original equations.