16Hit1600
AlgebraVery hardCoefficient from two points on a line

Algebra practice question

The graph of ax + by = 10 in the xy-plane passes through the points (1, 2) and (3, 1), where a and b are constants. What is the value of a?

Answer: 2

The points give a + 2b = 10 and 3a + b = 10. From the first, b = 10 − 2a, so 3a + 10 − 2a = 10 and a = 2.

Common wrong answers

If you answered 4
4 is b.
If you answered 10
10 is the constant.
If you answered -2
−2 has the sign wrong.

More Algebra questions

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