Question 1024639: what is y" of xy=2
Answer by Theo(13342)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! both x and y are variables that represent the value of something.
unless you are told what that something is, you have no way of knowing.
since you have two variables in one equation, the best you can do is solve for one of the variables in terms of the other.
you would solve for y as follows:
start with xy = 2.
divide both sides of the equation by x to get xy/x = 2/x.
simplify to get y = 2/x.
similarly, you would solve for x to get x = y/2.
now you have a relationship that you can use if you know the value of one of the variables in question.
for example.
you are given that xy = 2.
you are also given that x = 2.
you want to find the value of y.
replace x with 2 in the equation xy = 2 to get 2y = 2.
divide both sides of the equation by 2 to get y = 1.
you now know that, if x = 2, y = 1, because 2 * 1 = 2.
you still don't know what they represent, but you at least know how to find the value of one of them given the value of the other.
i'm trying to think of a real world example.
let's say you have 2 dollars to spend.
you can buy x number of items at an average cost of y dollars apiece.
suppose the cost of the items you want to buy have an average price of .01 dollars each.
in the formula for xy = 2, you will want to solve for x because you know the value of y.
xy = 2 becomes x = 2/y when you are solving for x.
replace y with .01 and the formula becomes x = 2/.01.
solve for x to get x = 200.
you can buy 200 items at a cost of .01 dollars apiece and your total cost will be 2 dollars.
as i said before, however, you would not know what y or x represents unless you are told.
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