Question 115·Easy·Systems of Two Linear Equations in Two Variables
In the system of equations below, is a constant.
If the system has infinitely many solutions, what is the value of ?
For SAT questions about systems with "infinitely many" or "no" solutions, immediately think in terms of the two lines: infinitely many solutions means the equations are the same line, so all coefficients (including the constant) must be in the same ratio; no solutions means the lines are parallel with different constants. Quickly compute the ratio between the -coefficients, check that the -coefficients match that ratio, then apply the same ratio to the constant term to find the missing value. This avoids solving the system and saves time.
Hints
What does "infinitely many solutions" tell you?
Think about the graphs of the two equations. What must be true about the two lines if every solution of one is also a solution of the other?
Compare the coefficients of and
Look at how changes to . By what number do you multiply to get ? Do you multiply by the same number to get ?
Don’t forget the constant term
Once you find the multiplier that turns the first equation’s left side into the second equation’s left side, apply that same multiplier to the constant on the right side. That result is .
Desmos Guide
Enter the equations in slope-intercept form
Rewrite each equation to solve for :
- First equation: becomes .
- Second equation: becomes .
In Desmos, type these as:
y = (4x - 5)/3y = (12x - k)/9(Desmos will create a slider for ).
Use the slider to match the lines
Look at the two lines on the graph. Adjust the slider for until the two lines lie exactly on top of each other (they coincide everywhere, not just intersect at one point).
Read off the value of
When the lines perfectly overlap, note the value of shown by the slider. That value of is the one that makes the system have infinitely many solutions.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the condition "infinitely many solutions"
If a system of two linear equations has infinitely many solutions, then both equations represent the same line.
That means one equation must be a constant multiple of the other: every term on the left and the constant on the right are all multiplied by the same number.
Find the multiplier using the and coefficients
Compare the coefficients in
and
From to , the coefficient is multiplied by because .
Check the term: to is also multiplied by because .
So the entire first equation must be multiplied by to match the left side of the second equation.
Apply the same multiplier to the constant term
Since we multiply the whole first equation by , we must also multiply the constant term on the right side by .
So the constant on the right, originally , becomes .
Therefore, must equal for the two equations to represent the same line.
Compute the value of and choose the answer
Calculate , so .
The correct answer choice is C) 15.