4.

SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS
IMPORTANT NOTES:
*** Usually asked in PAPER 2, Question 1.
(i) Characteristics of simultaneous equations:
(a) Involves TWO variables, usually in x and y.
(b) Involves TWO equations : one linear and the other non- linear.
(ii) “ Solving simultaneous equations” means finding the values of x and corresponding y which satisfy BOTH the equations.
(iii) Methods of solving ::
(a) Starting from the LINEAR equation, express y in terms of x (or x in terms of y).
(b) Substitute y (or x) into the second equation (which is non-linear) to obtain a quadratic equation in the form ax2 + bx + c = 0.

 b  b 2  4ac
(c) Solve the quadratic equation by factorisation or by using the FORMULA .
2a
(iv) If the quadratic equation CANNOT be factorised, candidates will be asked to “give your answer correct to 4 significant figures”
or “give your answer correct to three decima lplaces”.

Back to BASIC
2
(I) Expansion of (ax+b)
Test yourself :
0. (x + a)2 = x2 + 2 ax + a2 1. (x + 3)2 = 2. (x + 4)2 =

3. (x + 1)2 = 4. (x – 3 )2 = 5. (x – 2)2 =

6. (2x + 1)2 = 7. (x + 5)2 = 8. (3x + 2)2 =

9. (4x - 5)2 = 10. (x – 6)2 = 11. (2x – 3)2 =

12. (2 + x)2 = 13. (3 – 2x)2 = 14. (1 – 3x)2 =

15.  x  2
2
16. 4  x
2
17.  5  3x 
2

        
 2   2   3 

18.  3  2x 
2
19.  1  2x 
2
20.  3x  4 
2

        
 2   3   2 

(II) Expansion of (ax + b)(cx + d)

Test yourself:
0. (x + 2)(x – 3) = x2 – 3x + 2x – 6 1. (x + 4)(x – 1) = 2. (x + 3)(x + 5) =
2
= x –x–6
3. (x + 1)(2x – 3) = 4. (x – 3 )(2x + 1) = 5. (3x – 2)(x + 3) =

6. (2x + 1)(x – 2) = 7. (2x + 5)(x – 2) = 8. (x + 2)(5x – 3) =

9. (2x – 3 )(2x + 3) = 10. (3x – 2)2 = 11. (2x – 3)(2 – x) =

12. (x - 3 )(x + 3) = 13. (2x – 1)(x + 2) = 14. (2x + 3)(2 + x) =

15. (2x – 3 )(2x + 4) = 16. (3x – 2)(x – 5) = 17. (x – 3)(2 – 3x) =

18. (x – 4 )(2x) = 19. 2(3x + 2)(x – 1) = 20. 3x(– 3 – 2x)) =

4 Simultaneous Equations 1
Back to BASIC
(III) To express y in terms of x
(c)

Test yourself:
Eg.. 2x + y = 4 1. 3x + y = 6 2. x+y= 3
y = 4 – 2x y= y=

Eg.. 3x – y = 6 3. 2x – y = 3 4. x–y=6
3x = 6+y
3x – 6 = y
y= 3x - 6

Eg.. x + 2y = 2 5. x + 3y = 9 6. 3x + 4y = 6
2y = 2 – x
y= 2x
2

Eg.. 3x – 2y = 4 7. 2x – 3y = 2 8. x – 4y = 1
3x = 4 + 2y
3x – 4 = 2y
y= 3 x  4
2

9. 3y – x = 5 10. x – 2y = 5 11. 4x + 3y = 6

(III) (b) Express x in terms of y

Eg.. x + 3y = 2 1. 2y + x = 5 2. x+y = 1
x = 2 – 3y x= x =

Eg.. 4y – x = 3 3. y–x = 3 4. x–y=4

4y = 3+x
4y – 3 = x
x = 4y - 3
Eg.. 3x + 2y = 4 5. 4x + 3y = 2 6. 2x + 4y = 3
3x = 4 – 2y
x = 4  2y
3
Eg.. 3y – 2x = 1 7. 2x – 3y = 2 8. 3x – 4y = 6
3y = 1 + 2x
3y – 1 = 2x

x = 3y  1
2
9. 3y – 6x = 2 10. ½x–y= 2 11. – 2x + y = 4

12. 5x + 2y – 3 = 0 , y = ? 13. 3y – 2x – 6 = 0 , x = ? 14. – 3x – 4 y = 2 , y = ??

4 Simultaneous Equations 2
Back to BASIC
(IV) To express in the form of a general Quadratic Equation : ax2+bx + c = 0

EXAMPLE EXERCISE
C1. x (3 – x) = – 18 L1. x (5 – 2x ) = 2
3x – x2 = – 18
0 = x2 – 3x – 18
2
x – 3x – 18 = 0

L2. (x+2) (x – 2) = 21 L3. (x – 1)2 = 9

L4. (3x+2) (3x – 2) = 32 L5. (x – 2)x + (x – 2)2 = 3

L6. (x – 2)2 - (x – 2) = 6 L7. x(x – 1) + (x – 1)2 = 5

L8. x(2x+1) + x - 4 = 0 L9. (4 – y)2 – 2y2 = 2y (4 – y)

L10. 2x(3 – x) + (3 – x)2 = 1 L11. x2 – 2(3 – x) – (3 – x)2 + 2 = 0

L12. 2 2 1
 1  3x   1  3x    2
3   4x  x  6 L13.
2

 2   2  3x 3  3x

L14. 2
x 5 x 5 x
 ( 2 x  1)  3 L15. 3x     x  
2x 1  2   2 

4 Simultaneous Equations 3
Back to BASIC
(V) Solving Quadratic Equations ax2+bx + c = 0 by factorisation
EXAMPLE EXERCISE
C1. x (3 – x) = – 10 L1. x (5 – x ) = 4

3x – x2 = – 10
0 = x2 – 3x – 10
x2 – 3x – 10 = 0
(x + 2)(x – 5) = 0
x = -2, x = 5
Ans: x = 1, 4
L2. x (8 – 2x) = – 10 L3. x + (x – 1)2 = 3

Ans: x = -1, 5 Ans: x = -1, 2

L4. y(2y+1) + y = 4 L5. (4 – y)2 + y2 – (4 – y)y = 31

Ans: y = -2, 1 Ans: y = -1, 5

L6. 2x2 + (2 – x)2 = 8 L7. x2 - 2(8 – x) + (8 – x)2 = 24

Ans: x = - 2/3 , 2 Ans: x = 3, 4

L8. (3 – x)2 + x2 = 29 L9. 5 x 5 x
x   2x  
2  2 

Ans: x = - 2 , 5 Ans: x = -½ , 5

4 Simultaneous Equations 4
To solve Quadratic Equations ax2 + bx + c = 0
I. By factorisation
- Can only be used for quadratic expression which can be facrorised.

EXAMPLE EXERCISE
C1. Solve the quadratic equation x2 + 5x + 6 = 0. 2
L1. Solve x – 4x – 5 = 0.
Ans: : x2 + 5x + 6 = 0
(x + 2) (x + 3) = 0
x + 2 = 0 or x + 3 = 0
x = -2 or x = -3
Ans : – 1 , 5

C2. Solve the quadratic equation 2x (x – 1) = 6. L2. Solve x ( 1 + x) = 6.

Ans : 2x (x – 1) = 6
2x2 – x – 6 = 0
(2x + 3) (x – 2) = 0
2x + 3 = 0 atau x – 2 = 0
3
x=  atau x = 2
2
Ans : – 3 , 2

L3. Solve (x – 3)2 = 1. L4. Solve 1 + 2x2 = 5x + 4.

Ans : 2, 4 Ans : 1, 3/2

L3. Solve (2x – 1)2 = 2x – 1 . L4. Solve 5x2 – 45 = 0.

Ans : ½ , 1 Ans : – 3 , 3
L5. Solve (x – 3)(x + 3) = 16. L6. Solve 3 + x – 4x2 = 0.

Ans : – 5 , 5 Ans : – ¾ , 1
L7. Solve x( x + 2) = 24. L8. Solve 2(x2 – 9) = 5x.

Ans : – 6 , 4 Ans : – 2 , 9/2

4 Simultaneous Equations 5
To Solve Quadratic Equations ax2 + bx + c = 0

III. By using formula b  b 2  4 ac

x 
2a
EXAMPLE EXERCISE
2
C1. Solve 2x – 8x + 7 = 0 using formula, give tour L1. By using the formula, solve 2x2 - 12x
answer correct to 4 significant figures. + 5 = 0 correct to 4 s.f.
a = 2, b = -8 , c = 7
 (8)  (8) 2  4(2)(7)
x
2(2)
8  8

4

= 2.707 or 1.293 (Ans : 5.550, 0.4505)

C2. Solve 2x(2 – 3x) = -5 using the formula, give L2. By using the formula, solve
your answer correct to 2 decimal places 3 – x2 = - 3(4x – 3) correct to 2
2x(2 – 3x) = -5 decimalplaces
4x – 6x2 = -5
6x2 – 4x – 5 = 0
a= ,b= , c=

x =

(Ans : 1.31 , -0.64)

(Ans: 0.52 , 11.48 )
L3. Solve x(2x –1) = 2 by using formula give your L4. Solve the quadratic equation 2x(x – 4)
answer correct to 2 decimal places. = (1-x) (x+2). Write your answer correct to
four significany figures.
(SPM 2003)

(Ans : 1.28, -0.78)

(Ans : 2.591 , - 0.2573 )
2
L5. Solve x – 4x = 2 using formula, give your L6. Solve the quadratic equation
answer correct to 4 s.f. x(x – 4) = (3 – x )(x + 3). Write your
answer correst to two decimal places.

(Ans : 4.449 , -0.4495) (Ans : 3.35 , -1.35 )

4 Simultaneous Equations 6
Solving Simultaneous Equations (SPM FORMAT QUESTIONS)
C1. Solve x + y = 3, xy = – 10 . 1. Solve x + y = 5, xy = 4 .

x+y = 3 ........ (1)

xy = – 10 ........ (2)

Fromi (1), y = 3 – x ......... (3)

Substitute (3) into (2),
x (3 – x) = – 10
3x – x2 = – 10
x2 – 3x – 10 = 0
(x + 2) (x – 5) = 0
x = – 2 atau x = 5
From (3), when x = – 2 , y = 3 – (-2) = 5
x = 5, y = – 2

Answers: x = – 2, y = 5 ; x = 5 , y = – 2 .

(Ans : x = 1, y = 4 ; x = 4, y = 1)
L2. Solve x + y = – 2 , xy = – 8 . L3. Solve 2x + y = 6, xy = – 20 .

(Ans : x = – 4 , y = 2 ; x = 2, y = – 4 ) (Ans : x = – 2 , y = 10 ; x = 5, y = – 4 )
L4. Solve the simultaneous equations (SPM 2000) L5. Solve the simultaneous equations : (SPM 2002)

3x – 5 = 2y x+y–3 = 0
y(x + y) = x(x + y) – 5 x2 + y2 – xy = 21

(Ans : x = 3 , y = 2 ) (Ans : x = – 1, y = 4 ; x = 4, y = – 1 )
4 Simultaneous Equations 7
6. Solve the simultaneous equations : (SPM 2003) 7. Solve the simultaneous equations p – m = 2 and
4x + y = – 8 p2 + 2m = 8. Give your answers correct to three
x2 + x – y = 2 decimal places . (SPM 2004)

(Ans : m = 0.606, p = 2.606 ; m = – 6.606 , p = – 4.606 )

(Ans : x = – 2 , y = 0 ; x = – 3 , y = 4 )
8. Solve the simultaneous equations (SPM 2005) 9. Solve the simultaneous equations 2x + y = 1 and
1 2x2 + y2 + xy = 5. Give your answers correct to three
x y  1 and y2 – 10 = 2x decimal places . (SPM 2006)
2

(Ans : x = – 4 , y = 3 ; x = – ½ , y = 3 ) (Ans : x = 1.618, y = – 2.236 , x = 0.618, y = – 0.236)

4 Simultaneous Equations 8