Solve the simultaneous equations
$$
x + y = 2
$$
$$
4y^2 - x^2 = 11
$$ - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Pure - Question 6 - 2011 - Paper 1

Question 6

Solve the simultaneous equations
$$
x + y = 2
$$
$$
4y^2 - x^2 = 11
$$
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Solve the simultaneous equations
$$
x + y = 2
$$
$$
4y^2 - x^2 = 11
$$ - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Pure - Question 6 - 2011 - Paper 1
1. Substitute to express y in terms of x

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From the first equation, we can express y as:
y = 2 - x$$2. Substitute y in the second equation

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Now substitute this expression for y into the second equation:
4(2 - x)^2 - x^2 = 11$$3. Expand and simplify the equation

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Expanding the left-hand side:
4(4 - 4x + x^2) - x^2 = 11$$
This simplifies to:
16 - 16x + 4x^2 - x^2 = 11$$
Combining like terms gives us:
3x^2 - 16x + 5 = 0$$4. Solve the quadratic equation

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We solve for x using the quadratic formula:
x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}$$
where a = 3, b = -16, and c = 5. Thus:
d = (-16)^2 - 4(3)(5) = 256 - 60 = 196$$
Then:
x = \frac{16 \pm \sqrt{196}}{6} = \frac{16 \pm 14}{6}$$
This gives us two values for x:
x = 5 \quad \text{or} \quad x = \frac{1}{3}$$
5. Find corresponding y values

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Using both values of x to find y:
- For ( x = 5 ):
y = 2 - 5 = -3$$
2. For \( x = \frac{1}{3} \):
y = 2 - \frac{1}{3} = \frac{5}{3}$$
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