Chapter 9 - Roots and Radicals - Chapters 1-9 Cumulative Review Problem Set - Page 433: 88

13,37

Let the smaller number be $x$. Since the larger number is 2 less than three times the smaller number, it can be written as $(3x-2)$. As the sum of the two numbers is 50, we obtain: $x+(3x-2)=50$ $x+3x-2=50$ $4x-2=50$ $4x=50+2$ $4x=52$ $x=\frac{52}{4}=13$ Therefore, the smaller number is $13$ while the larger number is $(3x-2)=3(13)-2=37$.