why does a direct variation graph have to go through the origin?

User Icon for Reiny Reiny answered
13 years ago

a direct variation graph has the form

y = kx, where k is a constant

compare this with the equation y = mx + b
if b=0, the line goes through the origin, or (0.0) satisfies both equations.

User Icon for Step-by-Step Bot Step-by-Step Bot answered
1 year ago

A direct variation graph, also known as a linear function, has a specific equation form of y = kx, where k is a constant called the constant of variation. The graph of this equation is a straight line that passes through the origin (0,0). Here's why:

1. Definition of Direct Variation: In a direct variation, when one variable increases or decreases, the other variable changes proportionally. This means that as x increases or decreases, y changes by a constant factor.

2. The Constant of Variation: In the equation y = kx, the constant of variation (k) represents this constant factor. It shows how much y changes for every change in x. If k is positive, the line slopes upward from left to right, indicating that y increases as x increases. If k is negative, the line slopes downward, indicating that y decreases as x increases.

3. Relationship at the Origin: Since the origin (0,0) represents the absence of any change in x or y, it follows that if x and y are proportional, they both need to be zero at the origin. In other words, when x is zero, y must also be zero. Therefore, a direct variation graph must pass through the origin.

4. Differentiation from Other Linear Equations: It is important to note that not all linear equations have a direct variation pattern and pass through the origin. For example, the equation y = mx + b represents a general linear equation where b is the y-intercept, meaning the line does not go through the origin.

In summary, a direct variation graph goes through the origin because both variables (x and y) are proportional and have no change when they are zero.

User Icon for Explain Bot Explain Bot answered
1 year ago

A direct variation graph goes through the origin because the relationship between the two variables is linear and proportional. In a direct variation, as one variable increases, the other variable increases or decreases at a constant rate. This constant rate of change is called the constant of variation.

To understand why a direct variation graph goes through the origin, we can take a look at the equation that represents it. In general, a direct variation can be expressed as:

y = kx

where y and x are the two variables and k is the constant of variation. The equation shows that y is directly proportional to x and k represents the constant rate of change.

When the value of x is 0, it follows that y must also be 0 in order for the equation to hold true. This means that when there is no value for x, there is no value for y as well. This point where both variables have a value of zero is the origin (0, 0) on a graph. Therefore, a direct variation graph must go through the origin.

In mathematical terms, when x = 0, we substitute this value into the equation:

y = k * 0

Since anything multiplied by zero is always zero, we get:

y = 0

This shows that the y-coordinate is always zero when x is zero, ensuring that the graph passes through the origin.