Combining Two Variables

Maths: Year 5 & 6 National Curriculum, topic 7.3.2

Problem Solving with Two Variables

When you’re given a statement, you can use algebra to find different options that the answers can be.

Example 1

Possible answers

12 + 12 = 24
13 + 11 = 24
14 + 10 = 24
15 + 9 = 24
There are multiple correct answers, so you need to find all the different combinations available to answer the question fully.

Example 2

What could the answers be?

36 and 30
35 and 29
34 and 28
33 and 27
32 and 26

Problem Solving with Two Variables

When you’re given a statement, you can use algebra to find different options that the answers can be. You can be given these statements numerically (using numbers).

Example 1

This numerical statement means:
The difference between the two numbers (a and b) is 23.
One of the numbers (a) must be less than 37.
One of the numbers (b) must be bigger than 9.

Possible answers

33 and 10
34 and 11
35 and 12
36 and 13

Example 2

What could the answers be?

36 and 30
35 and 29
34 and 28
33 and 27
32 and 26

Test yourself on Combining Two Variables

Which pair of numbers is NOT an answer to the following question:
The difference between two numbers is 3. The two numbers are between 45 and 55.
Which pair of numbers is NOT an answer to the following question:
The difference between two numbers is 7. The two numbers are between 12 and 29.
Which pair of numbers is NOT an answer to the following question
The sum of two numbers is 33. The two numbers are between 10 and 20.
Which pair of numbers is NOT an answer to the following question
The sum of two different numbers is 12. The two numbers are below 10.
Which pairs of numbers is NOT the answer to the following question:
a − b = 15
a < 61
b > 42

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