Four bushels of oats weigh 58 kg

Question

Find the constant of variation. 

Do these quantities (volume and weight) vary directly or inversely?

Answer 1

If you are looking for a constant of variation, then you are just looking for the unit rate (what one bushel weighs). So if 4 bushels = 58 kg, you need to figure out how much 1 bushel weighs by dividing 58 kg by 4. You get 1 bushel weighs 14.5 kg, so 14.5 is your constant of variation. As the number of bushels increases, the weight increases, so the quantities vary directly (if one goes up, the other goes up, or if one goes down, the other goes down).