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Consider the function \(g(x) = -\frac{10}{x} + 2\).
a) Find the value of \(x\) for which \(g(x) = 7\).
b) For which positive values of \(x\) is \(g(x) > 0\)?
c) Which is greater, \(g(10)\) or \(g(100)\)? Justify your answer without fully calculating both values by analyzing the structure of the function rule.
Hints
- How can you clear a denominator when solving for \(x\)?
- When multiplying an inequality by \(x\), why does the condition \(x > 0\) matter?
- What happens to \(\frac{10}{x}\) as positive \(x\) increases from \(10\) to \(100\)?
Solution
1. Solve \(-\frac{10}{x} + 2 = 7\). Then \(-\frac{10}{x} = 5\), so \(-10 = 5x\) and \(x = -2\).
2. For \(x > 0\), solve \(-\frac{10}{x} + 2 > 0\). This is equivalent to \(2 > \frac{10}{x}\). Multiplying by the positive quantity \(x\) gives \(2x > 10\), so \(x > 5\).
3. For positive \(x\), the quantity \(\frac{10}{x}\) decreases as \(x\) increases. Since \(g(x) = 2 - \frac{10}{x}\), subtracting the smaller quantity gives the larger output. Therefore, \(g(100) > g(10)\).
Answer
a) \(x = -2\)
b) \(x > 5\)
c) \(g(100) > g(10)\), because \(\frac{10}{x}\) decreases as positive \(x\) increases.
