Take the first equation and multiply it by 5:
5*(8x + 2y -z)= 5*(-25)
40x + 10y-5z=-125
Then add it to equation #2
40x +3x +10y-3y-5z+5z= -125+10
43 x +7y= -115
Then take the first equation and multiply it by -2
-2*(8x +2y -z)= -2*(-25)
-16x -4y +2z =50
Add it to equation #3
-16x -5x -4y +6y +2z -2z=17+50
-21x +2y= 67
Now you have two equations left with only x and y:
43x + 7y =-115
-21 x +2y=67
From the second equation you get
2y=21x+67
y= (21x +67)/2 ((We call this equation A as I'll need it in a second))
Put this in the first equation
43x + 7/2(21x+67)=-115
43x +7*21x/2 +7*67/2=-115
I hope you are better in calculating these numbers than I am because while I can do the math I make plenty of faults when calculating numbers. When in school I always got results like that - e.g. I can see that 7*21/2 will by no means be a nice number like 4 or even 15. So I hope I get the numbers right
43x + 73,5x +234,5 =-115
116,5 x =-349,5
x=-349,5/116,5
x=-3
Now we go back to equation A:
y=(21x +67)/2
y=(21*(-3)+67)/2
y=(-63+67)/2
y=4/2
y=2
Now we could go back to any of the first equations but I suppose #1 will be easiest.
8x + 2y - Z = -25
You bring the z to one side:
z=8x+2y+25
z=8*(-3)+2*2+25
z=-24+4+25
z=5
I suppose it is right as all the results are nice and clean
That was fun. Math for me is also 30 years ago but it was my favorite![]()







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Good Luck Kidos.. Hey I stunk at it then & know I am plum dumb with it now.. I have been out of school for over 33 years.. However reading your post are making my head spin..
THANK YOU! Barbara, thanks so much for the step by step info and showing the work. This is exactly what I needed 




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