Elimination is when you add or subtract the equations so one variable disappears like your motivation on a Monday. It’s petty but effective. You line them up:
3x + 2y = 12 and 2x - 2y = 2.
4 Ways to Solve Systems of Algebraic Equations Containing Two Variables
Notice the +2y and -2y? They’re like two people who hate each other. Add the equations: (3x + 2x) + (2y - 2y) = 12 + 2. The y cancels out. You’re left with 5x = 14, so x = 2.8. Now you have the power. Take that x back into any equation—I like the first one because it’s front of the line—and get y.
Sometimes the variables don’t cancel nicely. Then you have to multiply an entire equation by a number—like forcing a stubborn friend to stop humming. Multiply the second equation by 3 to match coefficients. It’s legal, it’s math, and it works.
