The sum of two numbers is 56. the difference of the 2 numbers is 16. what is the product of the two numbers?

So if you let x and y be the two numbers...

the sum of the two means you add them together... so you get:

x+y=56 : the difference means you subtract them.. so

x-y = 16

now you have two equations and two unknowns... which you can solve with a variety of methods... you can use elimination, substitution, or trial and error.

x+y=56

x-y = 16

I will use the elimination method: Because there is a plus y and a negative you cancel that out and you add the 2x's. Therefore:

2x=72

x=36

Now, you can plug in 36 into one of your original equation:

36+y=56

y=20

Those are your two numbers!

ruth is 6 years old

step-by-step explanation:

6 + 24 = 30,   so 6/30 = .2  

if you do 1/5 it also equals .2, so that is the answer.