Augmented Matrices and The Gauss-Jordan Method

(Teacher Notes)
Use the information below to set up a system of equations and then solve
the system using the elimination method.
An investor has a total of 45 one-ounce ingots, made of either gold or
silver, worth $7636.50. The value of a gold ingot is $280.00, and the value
of a silver ingot is $4.25. Find g, the number of gold ingots, and s, the
number of silver ingots?
(Released TAKS July 2006)
System of Equations

Answer:

call this R1
g s 45

280 g 4.25s 7636.50 call this R 2

Augmented Matrices
s constant

R1 1
1
45

R2 280 4.25 7636.50

1st : Find s by eliminating g.

280 R1 R2

280 g 280s 12600

280 g 4.25s 7636.5
275.75s 4963.5
s 18

2nd : Find g by eliminating s in R1.

1R2 R1

g s 45
s 18
g

27

g
R1 1
R2 0

g
R1 1
R2 0

s constant
1
1

45
18

s constant
0
1

27
18

The process used above is called The Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method. This is a
systematic way to solve system of equations and is especially helpful when solving very
large systems of equations. The first step in using the Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method
is to use the system of equations to set up an augmented matrix (a coefficient matrix next

to a constant matrix) . For the problems below, set up a system of equations and the
corresponding augmented matrix.
Problem #1: An isosceles triangle has legs that are each x inches long and a base that is
y inches long. The perimeter of this triangle is 38 inches. The base is 8 inches shorter
than the length of a leg. Find the length of each of the three sides. (Released TAK Fall
2005)
Answer: Let x = length of the leg (in inches)
y = length of the base (in inches)
2 x y 38

x y 8

x
R1 2
R2 1

y constant
38
8

1
1

Problem #2: A toy store set up some bargain tables in the shopping mall. Three
children, Ali, Bob, and Cindy, bought some items. On the basis of the following
information, determine how many items each child purchased.
The total number of items purchased was 5.
Ali paid $1 for each item he purchased, Bob paid $2 each and Cindy paid $3 each.
The total spend by all three children was $10.
The toy store gave balloons when items were purchased. Ali got 2 balloons for
each item he purchased; Bob and Cindy got 1 balloon for each item. The children
received a total of 6 balloons.
Answer: Let a = number of items purchased by Ali
b = number of items purchased by Bob
c = number of items purchased by Cindy
abc 5

a 2b 3c 10
2a b c 6

a b

R1 1 1 1
R2 1 2 3
R3 2 1 1

5
10
6

Problem #3: A theater has a seating capacity of 900 and charges $2 for children, $3 for
students, and $4 for adults. At a certain screening with full attendance, there were half as
many adults as children and students combined. The receipts totaled $2800. How many
children attended the show?
Answer: Let a = number of adults that attended the show
s = number of students that attended the show
c = number of children that attended the show

a c s 900

4a 2c 3s 2800

1
1
a c s 0
2
2

R1 1 1
1

R2 4 2
3
R3 1 1/ 2 1/ 2

900

2800
0

The goal in Gauss-Jordan Elimination is to use row operations (interchange two rows,
multiply a row by a nonzero constant, add two rows, or add a multiple of one row to
another row) to change the augmented matrix to row reduced echelon form (rref) which
looks like the following matrix:
1 0 0 #
0 1 0 #

0 0 1 #

Notice the right hand side is the identity matrix while the left hand side can be any
numbers. Why do you think we want to convert the augmented matrix to the identitylike matrix above?

To get a matrix in row reduce echelon form follow the method suggested below.

First:

a11
a
21
a31

a12
a22
a32

a11

Second: a21
a31

a11

Third: a21
a31

# Use row operations to make a11 1 . Then use row

# operations to make the other elements in column 1 zero.
#

a13
a23
a33

a12
a22
a32

a12
a22
a32

#
#
#

a13
a23
a33

a13
a23
a33

#
#
#

Use row operations to make a22 1 . Then use row

operations to make the other elements in column 2 zero.

Use row operations to make a33 1 . Then use row

operations to make the other elements in column 3 zero.

Use the augmented matrices set up above and perform row operations to get each of the
augmented matrices in row reduced form.

Problem #1: An isosceles triangle has legs that are each x inches long and a base that is
y inches long. The perimeter of this triangle is 38 inches. The base is 8 inches shorter
than the length of a leg. Find the length of each of the three sides. (Released TAK Fall
2005)
x
R1 2
R2 1

y constant
38
8

1
1

1
1
R2 R2
3
0

1
1

R1 R2

22 / 3

1
2

1
1

8
38

1
R2 R1 R 1
0

2 R1 R2 R2
0

0
1

1
3

8
22

46 / 3
22 / 3

The length of the legs is 46/3 inches and the length of the base is 22/3 inches.
Problem #2: A toy store set up some bargain tables in the shopping mall. Three
children, Ali, Bob, and Cindy, bought some items. On the basis of the following
information, determine how many items each child purchased.
The total number of items purchased was 5.
Ali paid $1 for each item he purchased, Bob paid $2 each and Cindy paid $3 each.
The total spend by all three children was $10.
The toy store gave balloons when items were purchased. Ali got 2 balloons for
each item he purchased; Bob and Cindy got 1 balloon for each item. The children
received a total of 6 balloons.
a b

R1 1 1 1
R2 1 2 3
R3 2 1 1

5
10
6

5
1 1 1
1R1 R2 R2

2
5
2 R R R 0 1
1
3
3

0 1 1 4

1 0 1 0
R2 R3 R3

0 1 2
5

1R2 R1 R1
0 0 1 1

1 0 0 1
2 R3 R2 R2

0 1 0 3

R3 R1 R1
0 0 1 1

Ali bought one item, Bob bought three items, and Cindy bought one item.

Problem #3: A theater has a seating capacity of 900 and charges $2 for children, $3 for
students, and $4 for adults. At a certain screening with full attendance, there were half as
many adults as children and students combined. The receipts totaled $2800. How many
children attended the show?
1
1 1
4 2
3

1 1/ 2 1/ 2

4
R3 R3
3
1
R3 R2 R2
2
1
R3 R1 R1
2

900
4 R1 R2 R2
2800
R1 R3 R3
0

1 0 0
0 1 0

0 0 1

300
200
400

1
1
1
0 2 1

0 3/ 2 3/ 2

900

800
900

1
R2 R2
1 0 1/ 2
2
R2 R1 R1 0 1 1/ 2
0 0 3/ 4
3
R2 R3 R3
2

500

400
300

Augmented Matrices and The Gauss-Jordan Method

(Student Notes)
Use the information below to set up a system of equations and then solve
the system using the elimination method.
An investor has a total of 45 one-ounce ingots, made of
either gold or silver, worth $7636.50. The value of a gold
ingot is $280.00, and the value of a silver ingot is $4.25.
Find g, the number of gold ingots, and s, the number of
silver ingots?
(Released TAKS July 2006)
System of Equations

Augmented Matrices

1st : Find s by eliminating g.

2nd : Find g by eliminating s in R1.

The process used above is called The Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method. This is a
systematic way to solve system of equations and is especially helpful when solving very
large systems of equations. The first step in using the Gauss-Jordan Elimination Method
is to use the system of equations to set up an augmented matrix (a coefficient matrix next
to a constant matrix) . For the problems below, set up a system of equations and the
corresponding augmented matrix.

Problem #1: An isosceles triangle has legs that are each x inches long and a base that is
y inches long. The perimeter of this triangle is 38 inches. The base is 8 inches shorter
than the length of a leg. Find the length of each of the three sides. (Released TAK Fall
2005)

Problem #2: A toy store set up some bargain tables in the shopping mall. Three
children, Ali, Bob, and Cindy, bought some items. On the basis of the following
information, determine how many items each child purchased.
The total number of items purchased was 5.
Ali paid $1 for each item he purchased, Bob paid $2 each and Cindy paid $3 each.
The total spend by all three children was $10.
The toy store gave balloons when items were purchased. Ali got 2 balloons for
each item he purchased; Bob and Cindy got 1 balloon for each item. The children
received a total of 6 balloons.

Problem #3: A theater has a seating capacity of 900 and charges $2 for children, $3 for
students, and $4 for adults. At a certain screening with full attendance, there were half as
many adults as children and students combined. The receipts totaled $2800. How many
children attended the show?

The goal in Gauss-Jordan Elimination is to use row operations (interchange two rows,
multiply a row by a nonzero constant, add two rows, or add a multiple of one row to
another row) to change the augmented matrix to row reduced echelon form (rref) which
looks like the following matrix:
1 0 0 #
0 1 0 #

0 0 1 #

Notice the right hand side is the identity matrix while the left hand side can be any
numbers. Why do you think we want to convert the augmented matrix to the identitylike matrix above?

To get a matrix in row reduce echelon form follow the method suggested below.

First:

a11
a
21
a31

a12
a22
a32

a11

Second: a21
a31

a11

Third: a21
a31

# Use row operations to make a11 1 . Then use row

# operations to make the other elements in column 1 zero.
#

a13
a23
a33

a12
a22
a32

a12
a22
a32

#
#
#

a13
a23
a33

a13
a23
a33

#
#
#

Use row operations to make a22 1 . Then use row

operations to make the other elements in column 2 zero.

Use row operations to make a33 1 . Then use row

operations to make the other elements in column 3 zero.

Use the augmented matrices set up above and perform row operations to get each of the
augmented matrices in row reduced form.

Problem #1: An isosceles triangle has legs that are each x inches long and a base that is
y inches long. The perimeter of this triangle is 38 inches. The base is 8 inches shorter
than the length of a leg. Find the length of each of the three sides. (Released TAK Fall
2005)

Problem #2: A toy store set up some bargain tables in the shopping mall. Three
children, Ali, Bob, and Cindy, bought some items. On the basis of the following
information, determine how many items each child purchased.
The total number of items purchased was 5.
Ali paid $1 for each item he purchased, Bob paid $2 each and Cindy paid $3 each.
The total spend by all three children was $10.
The toy store gave balloons when items were purchased. Ali got 2 balloons for
each item he purchased; Bob and Cindy got 1 balloon for each item. The children
received a total of 6 balloons.

Problem #3: A theater has a seating capacity of 900 and charges $2 for children, $3 for
students, and $4 for adults. At a certain screening with full attendance, there were half as
many adults as children and students combined. The receipts totaled $2800. How many
children attended the show?