SAT Math · Systems of two linear equations in two variables · hard

The system kx + 4y = 20 and 3x + 2y = 10 has infinitely many solutions. What is the value of k?

The system kx+4y=20kx + 4y = 20 and 3x+2y=103x + 2y = 10 has infinitely many solutions. What is the value of kk?

Answer and explanation

Answer: 6

For a system to have infinitely many solutions, the two equations must describe the same line, so one is a constant multiple of the other. Compare 3x+2y=103x + 2y = 10 with kx+4y=20kx + 4y = 20. The yy-coefficient doubles from 2 to 4 and the constant doubles from 10 to 20, so the multiplier is 2. The xx-coefficient must double as well: k=2×3=6k = 2 \times 3 = 6. Check: 6x+4y=206x + 4y = 20 is exactly twice 3x+2y=103x + 2y = 10. A common wrong answer is 3, which copies the original coefficient without scaling. Another is 10, the constant.

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