DIRECT VARIATIONS

y = kx

We say that ‘y varies directly

as x”, if y is expressed as the
product of some constant
number k and x
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx

a.)
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of
variation
b.) What is the equation?
Solution: c.) What is x when y is 36?
y = kx

a.) y = 12, x =
4
y = kx
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx

a.) y = 12, x =
4
y = kx
12 = k(4)
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx

a.) y = 12, x
==
x 44
y = kx
12 =
k(4)
=k
3=k
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx c.) x = ? when y
b.) y =kx
y = 3x = 36
a.) y = 12, x
==
x 44 y = 3x
y = kx
12 =
k(4)
=k
3=k
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx c.) x = ? when y
b.) y =kx
y = 3x = 36
a.) y = 12, x y = kx
==
x 44 y = 3x
y = kx
12 =
k(4)
=k
3=k
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx c.) x = ? when y
b.) y =kx
y = 3x = 36
a.) y = 12, x y = kx
==
x 44 y = 3x
36 = 3x
y = kx
12 =
k(4)
=k
3=k
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx b.) y =kx c.) x = ? when y
k =3 = 36
a.) y = 12, x y = kx
=4 y = 3x 36 = 3x
y = kx =x
12 = k(4) 12 = x
=k
3=k
Example 1. y varies directly as x. If y = 12
when x = 4,
a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 36?
Solution:
y = kx b.) y =kx c.) x = ? when y
k =3 = 36
a.) y = 12, x y = kx
=4 y = 3x 36 = 3x
y = kx =x
12 = k(4) 12 = x
=k
3=k
Example 1. a.) Find the constant of
variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 9?
Solution:
Example 1. a.) Find the constant of
variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 9?
Solution:
Example 1. a.) Find the constant of
variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 81?
Solution:
Example 1. a.) Find the constant of
variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 81?
Solution:
Example 1. If y varies directly as x, and y = 280,
when x = 5,
a.) Find y when x = 14
Solution:
Example 1. a.) Find the constant of variation
b.) What is the equation?
c.) What is x when y is 12?

Solution:
Example 1. The area of a circle is given by the formula A
= πr2 .
Find the areas of two circles with radii of 4cm and
8cm, respectively.
Solution:
For r = 4cm For r = 8cm

A = πr2 A = πr2
A = π(4)2 A = π(8)2
A = π(16) A = π(64)
A = 16π cm2 A = 64π cm2
Example 1. y varies directly as the square root of x.
If y = 8 when x - 16, what is the constant of
variation?

Solution:
y = kx For r = 8cm
y=k
A = πr2
@ y = 8, x = A = π(8)2
16 A = π(64)
8=k A = 64π cm2
8 = k (4)
4 4
k=2
INVERSE VARIATIONS
If two variables, x and y, are so related that their product is
constant, that is xy = k, then y is said to vary inversely as x
or y is inversely proportional to x.
y= where p is any positive rational number
a. a.
2 x 5 = 10 2 x 4=8
3 x 3 = 10 3 x 3=9
2 x 4 = 10 2 x 4=8

x 6 = 10
2 x 5 = 10 1 x 5=2
1 1 x 6 = 0.6
Example 1. If y varies inversely as x, and
y = 4 when x = 6,
Find the constant of variation (k) and the value of
y when
Solution: x = 10.
y = kx (y varies directly
as x)
y = ( y varies inversely
as x)

@ y = 4, x = 6
y=

6 (4) =( ) 6
24 = k
Example 1. If y varies inversely as x, and
y = 4 when x = 6,
Find the constant of variation (k) and the value of
y when
Solution: x = 10. Solution:
y = kx (y varies directly y = kx (y varies directly
as x) as x)
y = ( y varies inversely y = ( v varies inversely
as x) as x)

@ y = 4, x = 6 @ y = ?, x = 10, k = 24
y= y=

6 (4) =( ) 6 y=
24 = k y=
Example 1I.The frequency of vibrations of a string is like that of a guitar
under constant tension is inversely propoertional to its length. If a string
of 50cm has a frequency of 200 cycles per second, find the constant of
proportionality(k). If a finger pressed at the 40cm mark, what is the
frequency emitted by the string?
Solution:
y = ( y varies inversely as x)

Let: frequency = y = 260 cycles per

second
string of the guitar = x = 50 cm

y= @ y = 200, x = 50, k = ?
Example 1I.The frequency of vibrations of a string is like that of a guitar
under constant tension is inversely propoertional to its length. If a string
of 50cm has a frequency of 200 cycles per second, find the constant of
proportionality(k). If a finger pressed at the 40cm mark, what is the
frequency emitted by the string?
Solution:
y = ( y varies inversely as x)

Let: frequency = y = 260 cycles per

second
string of the guitar = x = 50 cm

y= @ y = 200, x = 50, k = ?

50 (200 = ) 50 k=
10,000
Example 1I.The frequency of vibrations of a string is like that of a guitar
under constant tension is inversely propoertional to its length. If a string
of 50cm has a frequency of 200 cycles per second, find the constant of
proportionality(k). If a finger pressed at the 40cm mark, what is the
frequency emitted by the string?
Solution: Solution:
y = ( y varies inversely as x)
@ y = ?, x = 40, k = 10,000
Let: frequency = y = 260 cycles per
second y=
string of the guitar = x = 50 cm
y=
y= @ y = 200, x = 50, k = ?

50 (200 = ) 50 k=
y=

10,000
Solution:
(a) y = ( y varies inversely as x)

Finding k:
k = xy
2 x 50 = 100
5 x 20 = 100
8 x 12.5 = 100
10 x 10 = 100
15 x = 60
Therefore, it does not represent an
inverse variation.
Solution:
(a) y = ( y varies inversely as x)

Finding k:
k = xy
2x 10 = 20
7x 3 = 21
4x 5 = 20
5x 4 = 20
6x 3 = 18
Therefore, it does not represent an
inverse variation.
Solution: Solution:
(a) y = ( y varies inversely as x)
@k = 24
Finding k: y=
k = xy
2x 12 = 24 y = - equation
3x 8 = 24
4x 6 = 24
6x 4 = 24
8x 3 = 24
Therefore, it does represent an
inverse variation.