Emory Bouffard

Secondary Math 3 H.
Strong B5
04-26-2018
Direct and Indirect Variation Applied to Physics
Most people by 3rd grade are aware of what fractions are, how they work, and have
visualized what they look like. By 5th grade most people know how to multiply and divide
fractions, by 8th grade they are being applied to larger equations with variables. Fractions are a
significant part of direct and indirect equations. Something that advances in terms of skill in
applying it to the real world is something called a constant variable that is often used in it. This
constant variable is extremely important in many direct and indirect equations. It’s what relates
all of the inputs and outputs to each other. This is applied constantly in the physics field, in all
equations; In order to change something from being proportional to the answer to being an
exact answer, one has to add a constant variable. For something to have direct variation to the
value you’re trying to find, it would have to be related in a way that the variables being used are
in the numerator for the equation. For something to have indirect variation to the value you’re
trying to find, it would have to be related in a way that the variables are being used are in the
denominator. For something to be directly related to a​2​b​2​ and indirectly related to c​2​, the
equation would be x= K(constant variable)a​2​/b​2​. Indirect and direct variation applies to many
equations used in real-world situations, and that’s what makes it so important.
Most of the simpler equations used with direct and indirect variation are used in physics.
For example, the equation F​e​=(Kq​1​q​2​)/r​2​. In this case the F​e​ is directly related to the force
exerted on two charges, being q​1​ and q​2​, and indirectly related to the distance between the
charges, squared(r​2​), and to make it equal to the force exerted on the charges, that’s where the
constant variable comes in (K) to make sure that the answer will be exactly the answer and not
just proportional to it. More examples are shown below:
G(m1)(m2)
F​g​= r2
: ​This equation is used in physics to calculate the force of gravity on two masses. It
is directly related to the mass of object 1 (m​1​) and object two (m​2,​), and it is indirectly related to
the distance between the two squared (r​2​). And of course, everything is multiplied by the
constant variable (in this case it’s G, which is 6.67 × 10​-11​). Without the constant, the equation
(m1)(m2)
would be simply F​g​∝ r2
.
 2
M= ar
G : ​This equation is used to calculate a planetary body’s mass. The mass is directly related
to the gravitational acceleration(a) multiplied by the radius of the planet squared (r​2​), and
indirectly related to the gravitational constant (G). Without the constant, the equation would be
M∝ar​2​.
E=mc​2​: This equation is arguably one of the most well known used in physics. The kinetic energy
of a body is directly related to the mass of the object multiplied by the speed of light (the
constant, c, or 2.998 × 10​8​ meters per a second) squared. Without the constant, the equation
would be E∝m.
This topic is relatable to most equations that we have studied in class. Most of the time
direct and indirect variation has applied to our real-life situation examples in the book. For
example, the amount of people with ebola (p) directly relates to the population of the county (c)
and indirectly relates to the amount of hospitals in the area (h). If there are 4000 people with
ebola, 120 hospitals in the are, and the population of the country is 100,000, it is simple to find
K(100000)
the constant variable. 4000= 120 , ​by solving for K, we find that the constant is 4.8 (this
isn’t a real life situation, as these numbers are NOT realistic). This comes up a lot in solving
exponential functions, because once a constant is found, it makes solving for a function much
easier. When graphing functions in class, you always have to find if it has direct or indirect
variation. If x increases, and y increases as well, it has direct variation. If x decreases and y
increases, it has indirect variation; this also goes for x increasing and y decreasing. Finding if
something has direct or indirect variation applies to most things in mathematics. Seeing the
effect on changes in variables heavily influences how the problem is solved, and this goes for
most math problems and real-life situations.
In terms of real-life application, direct and indirect variation is everywhere. For example,
as shown in the last paragraph, it can be used for tracking the effects of illnesses and finding
what decreases the illness versus what increases the amount of people with it. Direct and
indirect variation is basically an advanced use of fractions and finding what goes in the
numerator and what goes in the denominator. The use of the term “indirect variation” is the
same as saying something is “inversely related,” which is a term used often when talking about
the graphs we have studied in class.
Direct and indirect variation is an extremely important topic that we have studied all
year in class, sometimes not knowing that was what it was. It’s used in every equation when
dealing with fractions and every time graphs are observed. It is one of the first things that is
addressed in most situations and one of the most important things to understand in real life
situations. I cannot put a big enough emphasis on its use in the physics and astronomical world
and its uses in medicinal fields and how it gives the data to find what might be working and what
isn’t. It is an interesting and useful topic that has affected many aspect of our lives.