Carcass wrote:
In the system of equations below, z ≠ 0. What is ratio of x to z?
\(x + 2y − z = 1\)
\(3x − 2y − 8z = −1\)
(A) −9/4
(B) −1/3
(C) 1/3
(D) 4/9
(E) 9/4
Notice that the equations involve 3 variables (x, y and z), but the question asks about only 2 variables (x and z).
So, let's find a way to eliminate the y variable, so that we might be able to glean some information about the relationship between x and z.
Given:
x + 2y − z = 1
3x − 2y − 8z = −1
Add the two equations to get: 4x - 9z = 0
Add 9z to both sides to get:
4x = 9zWhat is ratio of x to z?So, we want the value of x/z
Take
4x = 9z Divide both sides by z to get: 4x/z = 9
Divide both sides by 4 to get: x/z = 9/4
Answer: E
Cheers,
Brent