The sum of two numbers is 59 and the difference is 11 . What are the numbers? Larger number:

To solve this fun brain teaser, we can set up the equations based on the information given. Let the two numbers be x and y. We know: 1) x + y = 59 2) x - y = 11 By adding these two equations, we get 2x = 70, so x = 35. Now, plugging x back into the first equation gives us 35 + y = 59, hence y = 24. The larger number is 35! Imagine trying to solve this real-world! You could think of it as dividing up a treasure! So, if you have 59 doubloons and one pirate has 11 more than the other, you'd need to determine how many each pirate gets. It's a treasure hunt for numbers! Common mistakes often made in problems like this include mixing up addition and subtraction. It's easy to confuse the sum for the difference! Make double sure you keep track of which equation corresponds to which relationship—sum or difference—so you don’t end up sailing off course!