If $x = 6$ and $y = 10$, find $\frac{|x - 3y|}{|xy|}$.
We are given two equations involving two variables \(x\) and \(y\):
We want to evaluate the expression \(\frac{|x - 3y|}{|xy|}\). Our strategy is to first solve for the variable \(y\) using the given equations, then substitute both \(x\) and \(y\) into the expression to find its numerical value.
Using the equation \(x + y = 10\) and substituting the known value \(x = 6\), we have:
\[6 + y = 10\]
Subtracting \(6\) from both sides gives:
\[y = 10 - 6 = 4\]
Thus, the values for our variables are \(x = 6\) and \(y = 4\).
Now we evaluate the numerator \(|x - 3y|\) by substituting \(x = 6\) and \(y = 4\):
\[|x - 3y| = |6 - 3(4)| = |6 - 12| = |-6|\]
Since the absolute value of \(-6\) is \(6\), the numerator is \(6\).
Next, we evaluate the denominator \(|xy|\):
\[|xy| = |6 \times 4| = |24| = 24\]
The denominator is \(24\).
Finally, we calculate the quotient of the numerator and the denominator:
\[\frac{|x - 3y|}{|xy|} = \frac{6}{24}\]
By simplifying the fraction \(\frac{6}{24}\), we divide both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is \(6\):
\[\frac{6 \div 6}{24 \div 6} = \frac{1}{4}\]
The value of the expression is \(\frac{1}{4}\), which is equal to \(0.25\). Thus, the final result is \(\boxed{\frac{1}{4}}\).
Suppose you are managing a simple budget where the total amount spent on two categories, A and B, must be 10 units. If you know that the amount spent on category A is exactly 6 units, you can easily determine the amount spent on category B as 4 units. If you need to evaluate a specific relationship between these costs, such as the difference between category A and three times category B relative to their product, you can use substitution to calculate that specific ratio, helping you analyze the proportionality of your expenses.