If there is inverse variation and y=20 when x=15, find x when y=5.

1 answer

In inverse variation, the relationship between \( x \) and \( y \) can be expressed as:

\[ x \cdot y = k \]

where \( k \) is a constant.

First, we need to find the constant \( k \) using the provided values \( y = 20 \) when \( x = 15 \):

\[ k = x \cdot y = 15 \cdot 20 = 300 \]

Now that we have \( k = 300 \), we can find \( x \) when \( y = 5 \):

\[ x \cdot y = k \implies x \cdot 5 = 300 \]

To find \( x \), we can rearrange the equation:

\[ x = \frac{300}{5} = 60 \]

Thus, when \( y = 5 \), \( x \) is \( \boxed{60} \).