Difference between revisions of "1987 AHSME Problems/Problem 11"

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\textbf{(C)}\ c<\frac{3}{2} \qquad
 
\textbf{(C)}\ c<\frac{3}{2} \qquad
 
\textbf{(D)}\ 0<c<\frac{3}{2}\\ \qquad
 
\textbf{(D)}\ 0<c<\frac{3}{2}\\ \qquad
\textbf{(E)}\ -1<c<\frac{3}{2}  </math>
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\textbf{(E)}\ -1<c<\frac{3}{2}  </math>
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== Solution ==
 +
We can easily solve the equations algebraically to deduce <math>x = \frac{5}{c+1}</math> and <math>y = \frac{3-2c}{c+1}</math>. Thus we firstly need <math>x > 0 \implies c + 1 > 0 \implies c > -1</math>. Now <math>y > 0</math> implies <math>\frac{3-2c}{c+1} > 0</math>, and since we now know that <math>c+1</math> must be <math>>0</math>, the inequality simply becomes <math>3-2c > 0 \implies 3 > 2c \implies c < \frac{3}{2}</math>. Thus we combine the inequalities <math>c > -1</math> and <math>c < \frac{3}{2}</math> to get <math>-1 < c < \frac{3}{2}</math>, which is answer <math>\boxed{\text{E}}</math>.
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==

Latest revision as of 14:13, 1 March 2018

Problem

Let $c$ be a constant. The simultaneous equations \begin{align*}x-y = &\ 2 \\cx+y = &\ 3 \\\end{align*} have a solution $(x, y)$ inside Quadrant I if and only if

$\textbf{(A)}\ c=-1 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ c>-1 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ c<\frac{3}{2} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 0<c<\frac{3}{2}\\ \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ -1<c<\frac{3}{2}$

Solution

We can easily solve the equations algebraically to deduce $x = \frac{5}{c+1}$ and $y = \frac{3-2c}{c+1}$. Thus we firstly need $x > 0 \implies c + 1 > 0 \implies c > -1$. Now $y > 0$ implies $\frac{3-2c}{c+1} > 0$, and since we now know that $c+1$ must be $>0$, the inequality simply becomes $3-2c > 0 \implies 3 > 2c \implies c < \frac{3}{2}$. Thus we combine the inequalities $c > -1$ and $c < \frac{3}{2}$ to get $-1 < c < \frac{3}{2}$, which is answer $\boxed{\text{E}}$.

See also

1987 AHSME (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 10
Followed by
Problem 12
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