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X = Y

Y = X

=======these are directly proportional

X = 1/Y

Y = 1/X

========these are inversely proportional

Try a few inserted numbers and graph these to see, visually, the difference.

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Q: What does it mean when you say the x- variable and y-variable are inversely proportional?
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What does inversely and directly proportional mean?

Inversely proportional means that one variable goes up while the other goes down. Directly proportional means that both variables increase or decrease at the same time. ex: The volume of a gas at constant pressure is inversely proportional to gas pressure, thus this means that as pressure increases, the volume of the gas will decrease. ex: The volume of a fixed amount of gas is directly proportional to absolute pressure, thus this means that when you heat a gas the volume also increases.


Are the words variable and proportional interchangeable?

No. They mean entirely different things.


What does it mean to be inversely proportional?

I will use Ideal Gas Law to illustrate the meanings of " inversely proportional " and of " proportional to".The Ideal Gas Law is commonly written as follows :PV = nRTP = absolute pressureV = volume occupied by the gasn = moles of the gasR = universal gas constantT = absolute temperatureThis equation may be re-arranged giving :V = nRT / PFor a fixed amount number of moles of gas at a fixed temperature , you have :V = ( nRT ) / P = K / Pwhere K is a constant determined by the fixed n, R, and T. The equation indicates that the volume occupied, V , is inversely proportional to the absolute pressure, P. The equation also indicates thatthe product, PV , is constant.( 1 ) Multiplying the absolute pressure, P , by a factor of 2 would divide the volume occupied by 2.( 2 ) Multiplying the absolute pressure, P , by a factor of G would divide the volume occupied by G.The Ideal Gas Law also gives :P = nRT / VFor ideal gas moles and volume fixed, you get :P = ( nR/ V ) ( T ) = ( K ) ( T )In this situation, the absolute pressure, P , is directly proportional to the absolute temperature , T .( 1 ) Heating or cooling a fixed amount of gas in a closed and rigid container gives the absolutepressure, P , directly proportional to the absolute temperature, T.( 2 ) Changing the absolute temperature from 300 K to 600 K would double the absolute pressure,P , exerted by the gas.---In math, two variables are proportional if a change in one is always accompanies a change in the other, and if the changes are always related by a constant multiplier.You can contrast the concept of inverse proportionalityagainst direct proportionality. If your variables are "inversely proportional" to each other and all other variables remain constant, the magnitude or absolute value of one inversely proportional variable will decrease if the other variable increases, while their product remains the same.Source: Wikipedia


When where the first proportional compasses invented?

Possibly you mean PROPORTIONAL DIVIDER


What do indepedent variable mean?

Independent variable is the variable that you change in an experiment.

Related questions

In gases solubility is inversely proportional to?

Did you mean a gas' solubility in water? Then temperature would be inversely proportional.


What does inversely and directly proportional mean?

Inversely proportional means that one variable goes up while the other goes down. Directly proportional means that both variables increase or decrease at the same time. ex: The volume of a gas at constant pressure is inversely proportional to gas pressure, thus this means that as pressure increases, the volume of the gas will decrease. ex: The volume of a fixed amount of gas is directly proportional to absolute pressure, thus this means that when you heat a gas the volume also increases.


What does inversely proportional mean in words?

When you double one thing you halve the other thing.


Are the words variable and proportional interchangeable?

No. They mean entirely different things.


What does it mean to say that the object's acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass?

the bigger something is, the longer it takes to get it rolling at ______ speed.


What gas expands when heated?

all gases. The volume of a gas is directly proportional to the temperature, and inversely proportional to pressure. Maybe you mean air, but air is a mixture of gases


What does the energy of an em depend on?

If you mean electromagnetic waves, the energy per photon is directly proportional to the frequency (and therefore inversely proportional to the wavelength). The total energy of the wave, of course, can be just about anything.


What do you mean gravitation?

The gravitational force most commonly refers to Newton's low of universal gravitation. The for is directly proportional to the product of the mass of the two interacting bodies and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.


What do you mean by gravitation?

The gravitational force most commonly refers to Newton's low of universal gravitation. The for is directly proportional to the product of the mass of the two interacting bodies and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.


How do the changes in mass and distance effect the force of gravity?

Bigger masses mean a bigger force of gravity. Bigger distances mean smaller forces. Mathematically, the force is directly proportional to the product of the masses, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance.


What does it mean when you say that the acceleration produced is inversely proportional to mass?

This is true only if the resultant force is constant. From Newton's second law, F = ma where F is resultant force m is mass and a is acceleration a = F/m => a is inversely proportional to m This means that when m increases, a decreases and when m decreases, a increases.


What do you mean by gravitational force?

The gravitational force most commonly refers to Newton's low of universal gravitation. The for is directly proportional to the product of the mass of the two interacting bodies and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.