Direct, Inverse, Joint and Combined Variation Explained

11/12/2014
Direct, Inverse, Joint and Combined Variation - She Loves Math
Direct, Inverse, Joint and Combined Variation

This section
covers:
Direct or
Proportional Variation
Inverse or Indirect Variation
Joint and Combined Variation
Direct Variation Word Problems
Inverse Variation Word Problems
Combined Variation Word Problems
When you start studying algebra, you will also study how two (or more) variables can relate to each other
specifically. The cases youll study are:
Direct Variation, where both variables either increase or decrease together
Inverse or Indirect Variation, where when one of the variables increases, the other one decreases
Joint Variation, where more than two variables are related directly
Combined Variation, which involves a combination of direct or joint variation, and indirect variation
These sound like a lot of fancy math words, but its really not too bad. Here are some examples
of direct andinverse variation:
Direct: The number of dollars I make varies directly (or you can say varies proportionally) with how
much I work.
Direct: The length of the side a square varies directly with the perimeter of the square.
Inverse: The number of people I invite to my bowling party varies inversely with the number of
games they might get to play (or you can say is proportional to the inverse of).
Inverse: The temperature in my house varies indirectly (same as inversely) with the amount of time
the air conditioning is running.
Inverse: My GPA may vary directly inversely with the number of hours I watch TV.
Direct or Proportional Variation

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When two variables are related directly, the ratio of their values is always the same. So as one goes up, so
does the other, and if one goes down, so does the other. Think of linear direct variation as a y = mx line,
where the ratio of y to x is the slope (m). With direct variation, the y-intercept is always 0 (zero); this is
how its defined.
Direct variation problems are typically written:
y = kx
where k is the ratio of y to x (which is the same as the slope or rate).
Some problems will ask for that k value (which is called the constant of variation or constant of
proportionality its like a slope!); others will just give you 3 out of the 4 values for x and y and you can
simply set up a ratio to find the other value. Im thinking the k comes from the word constant in another
language.
Remember the example of making $10 an hour at the mall (y = 10x)? This is an example of direct
variation,since the ratio of how much you make to how many hours you work is always constant.
We can also set up direct variation problems in a ratio, as long as we have the same variable in either
the top or bottom of the ratio, or on the same side. This will look like the following. Dont let this scare
you; the subscripts just refer to the either the first set of variables
, or the second
.
Direct Variation Word Problem:

So we might have a problem like this:
The value of y varies directly with x, and y = 20 when x = 2. Find y when x = 8. (Note that this may be also
be written y is proportional to x, and y = 20 when x = 2. Find y when x = 8.)
Solution:
We can solve this problem in one of two ways, as shown. We do these methods when we are given any
three of the four values for x and y.
Formula Method:
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Proportion Method:
Its really that easy. Can you see why the proportion method can be the preferred method, unless you are
asked to find the k constant in the formula?
Again, if the problem asks for the equation that models this situation, it would be y = 10x.

The amount of money raised at a school fundraiser is directly proportional to the number of people who
attend. Last year, the amount of money raised for 100 attendees was $2500. How much money will be
raised if 1000 people attend this year?
Solution:
Lets do this problem using both the Formula Method and the Proportion Method:
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Brady bought an energy efficient washing machine for her new apartment. If she saves about 10 gallons of
water per load, how many gallons of water will she save if she washes 20 loads of laundry?
Solution:
Lets do this with the proportion model:
See how similar these types of problems are to the Proportions problems we did earlier?
Inverse or Indirect Variation

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Inverse or Indirect Variation is refers to relationships of two variables that go in the opposite direction.
Lets supposed you are comparing how fast you are driving (average speed) to how fast you get to your
school. You might have measured the following speeds and times:
(Note that
means approximately equal to).
Do you see how when the x variable goes up, the y goes down, and when you multiply the x with the y, we
always get the same number? (Note that this is different than a negative slope, since with a negative
slope, we cant multiply the xs and yx to get the same number).
So the formula for inverse or indirect variation is:
where k is always the same number.
Here is a sample graph for inverse or indirect variation. This is actually a type of Rational
Function (function with a variable in the denominator) that we will talk about in the Rational Expressions
and Functions section here.
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Inverse Variation Word Problem:

So we might have a problem like this:
The value of y varies inversely with x, and y = 4 when x = 3. Find x when y = 6.
The problem may also be worded like this:
Let
= 3,
= 4, and
= 6. Let y vary inversely as x. Find
Solution:
We can solve this problem in one of two ways, as shown. We do these methods when we are given any
three of the four values for x and y.
Formula Method:
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Product Rule Method:
Inverse Variation Word Problem:
For the Choir fundraiser, the number of tickets Allie can buy is inversely proportional to the price of the
tickets. She can afford 15 tickets that cost $5 each. How many tickets can Allie buy if each cost $3?
Solution:
Lets use the product method:
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Work Inverse Proportion Word Problem:

Heres a more advanced problem that uses inverse proportions in a work word problem; well see more
work problems here in the Systems of Linear Equations Section and here in the Rational Functions and
Equations Section.
If 16 women working 7 hours day can paint a mural in 48 days, how many days will it take 14 women
working 12 hours a day to paint the same mural?
Solution:
The three different values are inversely proportional; for example, the more women you have, the less
days it takes to paint the mural, and the more hours in a day the women paint, the less days they need to
complete the mural:
You might be asked to look at functions (equations or points that compare xs to unique ys well discuss
later in the Introduction to Functions section) and determine if they are direct, inverse, or neither:
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Joint Variation and Combined Variation

Joint variation is just like direct variation, but involves more than one other variable. Lets do a joint
variation problem:
Supposed x varies jointly with y and the square root of z. When x =
18 and y = 2, then z =
9. Find y when x = 10 and z = 4.
Lets set this up like we did with direct variation, find the k, and then solve for y:
Combined variation involves a combination of direct or joint variation, and indirect variation. Since these
equations are a little more complicated, you probably want to plug in all the variables, solve for k, and then
solve back to get whats missing. Here is the type of problem you may get:
(a) y varies jointly as x and w and inversely as the square of z. Find the equation of variation
when y = 100, x = 2, w = 4, and z = 20.
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(b) Then solve for y when x = 1, w = 5, and z = 4.

Lets solve:
Combined Variation Word Problem:

The volume of wood in a tree (V) varies directly as the height (h) and inversely as the square of the girth
(g). If the volume of a tree is 144 cubic meters when the height is 20 meters and the girth is 1.5
meters, what is the height of a tree with a volume of 1000 and girth of 2 meters?
Solution:
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Combined Variation Word Problem:

The average number of phone calls per day between two cities has found to be jointly proportional to the
populations of the cities, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the two cities.
The population of Charlotte is about 1,500,000 and the population of Nashville is about 1,200,000, and the
distance between the two cities is about 400 miles. The average number of calls between the cities is
about 200,000.
(a) Find the k and write the equation of variation.
(b) The average number of daily phone calls between Charlotte and Indianapolis (which has a
population of about 1,700,000) is about 134,000. Find the distance between the two cities.
Solution:
This one looks really tough, but its really not that bad if you take it one step at a time:
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One word of caution: I found a variation problem in an SAT book that stated something like this:
If x varies inversely with y and varies directly with z, and if y and z are both 12 when x = 3, what is the
value of y + z whenx = 5. I found that I had to solve it setting up two variation equations with two
different ks (otherwise you cant really get an answer). So watch the wording of the problems.
Here is how I did this problem:
Were doing really difficult problems now but see how, if you know the rules, they really arent bad at all?
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11/12/2014

Direct, Inverse, Joint and Combined Variation - She Loves Math