document.write( "Question 729547: Hi there! I'm wondering what the best method would be to solve a system of three linear inequalities with only two variables each?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Example:\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "3x+5y ‹(or equal to) 180
\n" ); document.write( "5x+2y ‹(or equal to) 90
\n" ); document.write( "8x+3y ‹(or equal to) 240\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "My first instinct was to solve using the elimination method, but I don't know how to apply it to 3 equations.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "I'm on my tablet, so I apologize that I can't use the less-than-or-equal-to symbols.\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Any help is immensely appreciated!
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #446029 by KMST(5328)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The way to show the solution to \"system%283x%2B5y%3C=180%2C5x%2B2y%3C=90%2C8x%2B3y%3C=240%29\" is graphing on a 2-dimensional graph.
\n" ); document.write( "(It's lucky you have only 2 variables, because 3 dimensional graphs would be hard to do).
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "The solution to each inequality would include the line represented by the equation with the equal sign, plus all the space to one side of that line.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "The solution to the system is the space where the solutions to the 3 inequalities overlap (if they overlap).
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\"blue%283x%2B5y=180%29\" passes through the points
\n" ); document.write( "(0,36), with \"x=0\" --> \"3%2A0%2B5y=5y=180\" --> \"y=180%2F5\" --> \"y=36\"
\n" ); document.write( "and
\n" ); document.write( "(60,0) with \"y=0\" --> \"3x%2B5%2A0=3x=180\" --> \"x=180%2F3\" --> \"x=60\"
\n" ); document.write( "The graph of the line is and \"3x%2B5y%3C=180\" graphs as (\"graph%28200%2C200%2C-10%2C90%2C-10%2C90%2C3x%2B5y%3C=180%29\"
\n" ); document.write( " An easy way to decide which side of the line is the solution to the inequality is to use a user-friendly \"test point\" such as (0,0) that is not on the line.
\n" ); document.write( "Is (0,0), with \"x=y=0\" part of the solution?
\n" ); document.write( "It makes \"3x%2B5y=3%2A0%2B5%2A0=0%3C180\" so it is part of the solution, along with all the other points on the same side of the line.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "Not all lines/inequalities are that easy to solve, but
\n" ); document.write( "\"5x%2B2y%3C=90\" and \"8x%2B3y%3C=240\" can be solved in the same manner.
\n" ); document.write( "\"red%285x%2B2y+=+90%29\" passes through (18,0) and (0,45);
\n" ); document.write( "\"green%288x%2B3y+=+240%29\" passes through (30,0) and (0,80), and
\n" ); document.write( "point (0,0) is part of the solution to \"5x%2B2y%3C=90\" and \"8x%2B3y%3C=240\" too.
\n" ); document.write( "Very conveniently, (0,0) is part of the solution to all 3 inequalities, so it is part of the solution to the system.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "The 3 lines seemed so very easy to draw, and it was easy to see that the solution is the space to the left and below all 3 of the lines.
\n" ); document.write( "Unfortunately, the drawing that was so easy does not properly show the solution.
\n" ); document.write( "It does not show where the green and red lines intersect.
\n" ); document.write( "The scale needs to be changed, and the points used to draw the line will not be very helpful with the new scale.
\n" ); document.write( "I had to get a better way to calculate points on the lines:
\n" ); document.write( "\"3x%2B5y=180\" <--> \"y=-0.6x%2B36\" ;
\n" ); document.write( "\"5x%2B2y+=+90\" <--> \"y=-2.5x%2B45\" and
\n" ); document.write( "\"8x%2B3y+=+240\" <--> \"y=-%288%2F3%29x%2B80\" .
\n" ); document.write( "I also had to solve \"system%285x%2B2y+=+90%2C8x%2B3y+=+240%29\" to find that those two lines intersect at (210,-480), to figure out how far to extend the scale.
\n" ); document.write( " The solution is the shaded area, including the blackened parts of the colored lines.
\n" ); document.write( "On those blackened parts of the colored lines, either
\n" ); document.write( "\"system%283x%2B5y=180%2C5x%2B2y%3C=90%2C8x%2B3y%3C=240%29\" or \"system%283x%2B5y%3C=180%2C5x%2B2y=90%2C8x%2B3y%3C=240%29\" or \"system%283x%2B5y%3C=180%2C5x%2B2y%3C=90%2C8x%2B3y=240%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );