Homework Help: Algebra

Posted by Cassie on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 6:49pm.

The table at the right shows that y varies inversely as x. What is the value of y when x is 12?

What does inversely mean?

Here's (kind of) what the table looked like:

x: 4; 6; 16; 36
y: 72;48; 18; 8

Thank you!

Algebra - Reiny, Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 6:58pm
inversely ----> did you notice that as x increases, the value of y decreases ?

y varies inversely as x
or
y = k(1/x) = k/x
sub in the first number pair
72 = k/4
so k = 288

then your equation is y = 288/x

(check to make sure the other values work, they do)

so if x = 12, y = 288/12 = 24

BTW, if the question had said
y varies 'directly' with x, my equation would have been
y = kx

Answer this Question

Related Questions

Inverse Variation - Help me please.. Explain also :( 1. E is inversely ...
Algebra 2 - On some tubes of caulking, the diameter of the circular nozzle ...
Algebra II - 1. If y varies directly as x, and y=30 when x=4, find the constant ...
algebra 2 - If y varies inversely as x, and y = 12 when x = 6, what is K, the ...
Check my answers. Algebra - Can you please check my answers? Thanxs! Write an ...
Math102 - If x varies directly as y and y varies inversely as the square of z. ...
Algebra - Suppose that y varies directly with x and inversely with zy=25 when x=...
Intermediate Algebra - y varies directly as the cube of x and inversely as the ...
algebra - Determine the equation of combined variation. Then solve for the ...
variation - Can you please check my answers? Thanxs! Write an equation that ...

For Further Reading

First Name:
School Subject:
Answer: