Question 26·Medium·Nonlinear Equations in One Variable; Systems in Two Variables
The equation relates the positive numbers and . Which equation correctly expresses in terms of ?
When asked to express one variable in terms of another in a rational equation, first isolate the term containing the variable you want, then rewrite any whole numbers as fractions so you can combine terms with a common denominator. Once you have a single fraction equal to another fraction, cross-multiply to clear denominators and then divide to isolate the target variable, being careful not to confuse a variable with its reciprocal and to keep track of signs when combining numerators.
Hints
Get the p-term alone
Start with . What can you subtract from both sides so that only the fraction with remains on one side?
Use a common denominator
Once you have , rewrite as a fraction with denominator so you can combine it with .
Turn the equation into a proportion
After combining, you should get one fraction on each side. When you have , what operation lets you clear the denominators in one step?
Finish isolating p
After cross-multiplying, you will have multiplied by some expression in . How do you undo that multiplication to leave by itself?
Desmos Guide
Pick a test value for q
Choose a simple positive value for that does not make any denominator zero, such as . You can change this later to a different value like to double-check.
Compute p from each choice
For each answer choice, type an expression in Desmos like pA = 2*4/(4-3), pB = 2*4/(4+3), etc., using your chosen value of . Desmos will give you a numerical value of for each option.
Check the original equation
For each computed value, type 2/pA + 3/4, 2/pB + 3/4, and so on. Look at Desmos’s output and see which option makes the value of 2/p + 3/q equal to exactly 1.
Verify with another q-value
Repeat the same process with a different positive (for example, ). The correct expression for will make 2/p + 3/q equal to 1 for every valid you test, while the incorrect ones will not.
Step-by-step Explanation
Isolate the fraction containing p
Start with
Subtract from both sides to get
Now all the terms are on one side of the equation.
Combine the terms on the right-hand side
Write as so you can combine the fractions:
Now the equation is
This is a proportion (one fraction equals another).
Cross-multiply and solve for p
From
cross-multiply:
Now divide both sides by (note so this is allowed):
So the correct equation expressing in terms of is .