Question 48·Hard·Linear Inequalities in One or Two Variables
Which of the following consists of the -coordinates of all the points that satisfy the system of inequalities above?
For systems with two inequalities in and one directly in , first interpret the -inequalities as an upper and lower bound for at each . Require that the lower bound be strictly less than the upper bound by comparing the right-hand expressions (e.g., solve for ). Then intersect that result with any separate inequality in , writing the final answer as a single compound inequality that matches one of the choices. If time permits or if you are unsure, a quick sketch or graphing in Desmos can confirm your -range visually.
Hints
Think about the role of the first two inequalities
For a fixed , the inequalities and put between two lines. What must be true about those two lines so that there is at least one that works?
Compare the two line expressions directly
Ignore for a moment and compare and . For there to be any that satisfies both inequalities at once, should be less than or greater than ?
Solve for the range of possible
Set up and solve an inequality that compares and . Then remember you still must also satisfy from the third inequality.
Combine your results
Once you have an inequality for from the first two conditions and the inequality from the third, express the combined condition on as a single compound inequality.
Desmos Guide
Graph the two inequalities in
In Desmos, type y < -1/2 x + 6 and y >= 3x - 4. You should see two shaded regions: one below the line with slope and one on or above the line with slope .
Graph the inequality in
Type x > -1. Desmos will shade to the right of the vertical line . Now look for the region where all three shadings overlap; this is the solution set of the system.
Identify the -range from the graph
Find the leftmost and rightmost -values where all three shaded regions overlap. The left boundary comes from the vertical line . The right boundary is the -coordinate of the intersection point of the two lines and (click that intersection point to see its coordinates).
Express the overlap as an -inequality
Use the two boundary -values you observed (from the vertical line and from the intersection point) to write a compound inequality describing all -coordinates in the overlapping region, and then match that inequality to one of the choices.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the question is asking
The system
describes all points that satisfy all three inequalities. The question asks for only the -coordinates of such points—that is, all for which there exists at least one satisfying the first two inequalities and also .
Interpret the first two inequalities in terms of upper and lower bounds for
For a fixed value of :
- means is at or above the line (this is a lower bound for ).
- means is below the line (this is an upper bound for ).
So for a given to work, there must be at least one that lies between these two lines:
This is only possible if the lower bound is strictly less than the upper bound.
Find when the lower bound is below the upper bound
Require the lower bound to be less than the upper bound:
Solve this inequality:
So any that can possibly work with the first two inequalities must satisfy .
Combine with the inequality in and choose the answer
We now have two conditions on :
- From the third inequality: .
- From comparing the -bounds: .
Together, they describe all possible -coordinates of points that satisfy the system:
This matches answer choice D.