Excel for Marketing Managers

Solving Systems of Equations..................................................

Solving

Systems of

Equations

Solving Systems of Equations

Opportunity...............................................................................................................................

“Tweedledum said to Tweedledee: ‘The sum of your weight and twice

mine is 361 pounds.’ Tweedledee said to Tweedledum: ‘Contrariwise,

the sum of your weight and twice mine is 362 pounds."

Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll

Sometimes, the minor errors of arithmetic can get in the way of understanding
the process of an algebraic algorithm. In solving a system of equations, such as
the one presented by Lewis Carroll, the real trick is in figuring out exactly
what the equations are. If the student is to solve the system by subtraction, the
process involves an understanding of the algorithm, plus some very basic
computational skills. Many schools allow the use of calculators in the math
classroom. Why not a calculator that requires the student to enter the
equations, and then to enter a few additional numbers to make the algorithm
work?

Solution and Overview

You will make a worksheet that uses the subtraction method for solving a
system of two equations (sometimes known as simultaneous equations). The
worksheet will be protected so that the student will have access only to the
cells that require user input to solve the equations.

Creating the Solution

You will begin by making the instructions for the worksheet, which requires
you to make several “text boxes”.