Educator

Inverse Variation

• An inverse variation is a relation between two variables x and y in which their product is always equal to some nonzero constant k, called the constant of variation. We say that y varies inversely as x.

• The graph of an inverse variation consists of two separate curves or branches. The graph is undefined for either x = 0 or y = 0. The graph gets very large in absolute value as x gets close to 0. As x gets very large in absolute value, the graph gets close to the x-axis.

• In many problems, information is given about values of x and y that satisfy a particular inverse variation. Use these values to find the constant k. Then use k to find a missing value corresponding to another given value.