Suppose q and p are linearly related such that p = 30 when q = 5, and p = 50 when q = 7. Find p when q = 15.
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Understand the Problem
We are given that p
and q
are linearly related. We have two points (5, 30) and (7, 50). We must find this relationship and then determine what p is when q = 15.
Answer
$p = 130$
Answer for screen readers
$p = 130$
Steps to Solve
- Find the slope
Since $p$ and $q$ are linearly related, we can express the relationship as $p = mq + b$, where $m$ is the slope and $b$ is the y-intercept.
We are given two points: $(5, 30)$ and $(7, 50)$. We can use these points to find the slope $m$.
$m = \frac{p_2 - p_1}{q_2 - q_1} = \frac{50 - 30}{7 - 5} = \frac{20}{2} = 10$
- Find the y-intercept
Now that we have the slope $m = 10$, we can use one of the points to find the y-intercept $b$. Let's use the point $(5, 30)$.
$30 = 10(5) + b$ $30 = 50 + b$ $b = 30 - 50 = -20$
- Write the linear equation
Now we have the slope $m = 10$ and the y-intercept $b = -20$. We can write the linear equation as:
$p = 10q - 20$
- Find p when q = 15
Substitute $q = 15$ into the equation to find the value of $p$.
$p = 10(15) - 20$ $p = 150 - 20$ $p = 130$
$p = 130$
More Information
The problem states that $p$ and $q$ are linearly related, which allows us to use the equation of a line $p = mq + b$ to solve for $p$ when $q = 15$.
Tips
A common mistake is to reverse the order of the points when calculating the slope, leading to a negative slope. It's important to remember that slope is calculated as the change in the y-values (p's) divided by the change in the x-values (q's).
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