Chapter 3 – Linear Inequalities

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Introduction
We have already studied Equations in the previous chapter. An example of a linear equation in
one variable is 5x = 10. Notice the “=” sign between the terms “5x” and “10”. This is the equality
sign which signifies that the term “5x” is equal to “10”. This would give the value of x to be 2.
This implies that the equation 5x = 10 holds true only for x = 2. For all the other values of x,
this equation won’t hold true. Therefore, there’s only 1 solution to the equation.
An Inequality on the other hand is of the type 5x < 10. Notice the “<” sign between the terms
“5x” and “10”. This is the inequality sign which signifies that the term “5x” is always less than
“10”. On solving this, we’ll get x < 2. This means that the inequality 5x < 10 holds true for all
the values of x which are less than 2. Thus, it is clear that while an equation has only 1 solution,
an inequality has infinite solutions. These infinite solutions that an inequality has is called
Solution Space. Again, since the highest power of the variables is 1, it is said to be a Linear
Inequality.

Solving Linear Equations in Two Variables Graphically

Any linear equation in two variables can be plotted on a graph paper. The graph of a linear
equation in two variables is always a straight line.
Consider the equation 2x + 5y = 9. Following is its graph:

The above is the graph of the equation 2x + 5y = 9. The straight line that you see is the line of
the various solutions of this equation. This means that all the points falling on this straight line
will solve the equation 2x + 5y = 9. Take, for example, the point (4.5, 0). Putting 4.5 for x and
0 for y, we get the LHS → 2 × 4.5 + 5 × 0 = 9 + 0 = 9 = RHS. Therefore, we can see that the

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point (4.5, 0) is the solution of the equation 2x + 5y = 9. Similarly, any such point falling on
this line is the solution of this equation.
Now consider another equation: 3x – y = 5. Following is its graph:

The above is the graph of the equation 3x – y = 5. The straight line that you see is the line of
the various solutions of this equation. This means that all the points falling on this straight line
will solve the equation 3x – y = 5. Take, for example, the point (0, –5). Putting 0 for x and –5
for y, we get the LHS → 3 × 0 – (–5) = 0 + 5 = 5 = RHS. Therefore, we can see that the point
(0, –5) is the solution of the equation 3x – y = 5. Similarly, any such point falling on this line is
the solution of this equation.
If we superimpose these two graphs, the lines will intersect at a point. This intersection point
will give us the solution of these two equations when solved simultaneously.

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As can be seen from the above graph, the lines intersect at the point (2, 1). Hence, this is the
solution of the set of the equations: 2x + 5y = 9; 3x – y = 5.

Question 1
Draw the graphs of the following equations:
1. x + 2y = 8
2. 2x + 4y = 8
3. 6x + 10y = 60

Graphing Linear Inequalities in Two Variables

Consider the inequality 2x + 5y < 9. Following is its graph:

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You can see that the line of the inequality is a dotted line and the area below it is shaded. The
shaded area is the solution space of the inequality 2x + 5y < 9. Any point lying in the shaded
area will satisfy this inequality 2x + 5y < 9. The dotted line indicates that any point lying on
this line will not satisfy the inequality. However, if the inequality was 2x + 5y ≤ 9, then the line
would not have been dotted:

This means that any point lying on the fixed line, as well as in the shaded area will satisfy the
inequality 2x + 5y ≤ 9.
Consider the inequality 2x + 5y > 9. Its graph is:

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Any point in the shaded area will satisfy the inequality 2x + 5y > 9. The dotted line indicates
that any point lying on this line will not satisfy the inequality 2x + 5y > 9. However, this line
would not have been dotted if the inequality was 2x + 5y ≥ 9. The graph in such a case would
have been:

This means that all the points lying on the line as well as in the shaded area will satisfy the
inequality 2x + 5y ≥ 9.

Points to be Noted
1. If the inequality sign is > or <, a dotted line is drawn.
2. If the inequality sign is ≥ or ≤, a fixed line is drawn.
3. If the sign is < or ≤, the area towards 0 is shaded.
4. If the sign is > or ≥, the area away from 0 is shaded.

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Solving a System of Linear Inequalities in Two Variables Graphically
Consider the following system of Linear Inequalities in Two Variables: 2x + 5y < 9; 3x – y < 5.
The graph of 2x + 5y < 9 is:

The graph of 3x – y < 5 is:

On superimposing these two graphs, we get:

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The dark shaded portion in the above graph is the solution space of both the inequalities
simultaneously, i.e. any point lying in the dark shaded portion will satisfy both the inequalities
2x + 3y < 9, as well as 3x – y < 5.

Points to Remember
1. x > 0 means shading towards the right of the y axis.
2. y > 0 means shading above the x axis.
3. x and y are always greater than or equal to 0.

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Exercise 3A – Question 1 (v)
The graph to express the inequality x + y  9 is

(a) (b)

(c) (d) None

Solution (a)

Exercise 3A – Question 1 (vi)

The graph to express the inequality 5x + 3 y  30 is:

(a) (b)

(c) (d) None

Solution (c)

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Exercise 3A – Question 1 (vii)

1
The graph to express the inequality y    x is indicated by:
2
(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Solution (d)

Exercise 3A – Question 1 (viii)

L1: 5x + 3 y = 30 ; L2 : x + y = 9 ; L3: y = x / 3 ; L4 : y = x / 2

(a) 5x + 3 y  30 (b) 5x + 3 y  30 (c) 5x + 3 y  30 (d) 5x + 3 y  30

x+ y 9 x+ y 9 x+ y 9 x+ y 9
y  1/ 5x y  x/3 y  x/3 y9
y x/2 y x/2 y x/2 y x/2
x0, y 0 x0, y 0 x0, y 0
Solution (b)

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Exercise 3A – Question 3

L1: 2 x + y = 9 ; L2 : x + y = 7 ; L3: x + 2 y = 10 ; L4 : x + 3 y = 12

(a) 2x + y  9 (b) 2x + y  9 (c) 2x + y  9 (d) None

x+ y 7 x+ y 7 x+ y 7
x + 2 y  10 x + 2 y  10 x + 2 y  10
x + 3 y  12 x + 3 y  12 x + 3 y  12
x0, y 0
Solution (c)

Exercise 3A – Question 4
The common region satisfied by the inequalities L1: 3x + y  6, L2 : x + y  4, L3: x + 3 y  6,
L4 : x + y  6

(a) (b)

(c) (d) None

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Solution (a)

Exercise 3A – Question 6(i)

The inequalities x1  0 , x2  0 are represented by one of the graphs shown below:

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

Solution (b)

Exercise 3A – Question 6(ii)

The following region is expressed as:

(a) x1 − x2  1 (b) x1 + x2  1 (c) x1 + x2  1 (d) None

Solution (c)

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Exercise 3A – Question (iii)
The inequality − x1 + 2x2  0 is indicated on the graph as:

(a) (b)

(c) (d) None

Solution (a)

Exercise 3A – Question 5
The region indicated by the shading in the graph is expressed by inequalities

(a) x1 + x2  2 (b) x1 + x2  2
2 x1 + 2 x2  8 x2 x1 + x2  4
x1  0 , x2  0
(c) x1 + x2  2 (d) x1 + x2  2
2 x1 + 2 x2  8 2 x1 + 2 x2  8

Solution (a)

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Exercise 3A – Question 7

The common region indicated on the graph is expressed by the set of five inequalities:
(a) L1: x1  0 (b) L1: x1  0 (c) L1: x1  0 (d) None
L 2 : x2  0 L 2 : x2  0 L 2 : x2  0
L3 : x1 + x2  1 L3 : x1 + x2  1 L3 : x1 + x2  1
L 4 : x1 − x2  1 L 4 : x1 − x2  1 L 4 : x1 − x2  1
L5 : − x1 + 2 x2  0 L5 : − x1 + 2 x2  0 L5 : − x1 + 2 x2  0

Solution (b)

Exercise 3A – Question 9
The set of inequalities L1: x1 + x2  12 , L2 : 5x1 + 2 x2  50 , L3: x1 + 3x2  30 , x1  0 , and
x2  0 is represented by:

(a) (b)

(c) (d) None

Solution (b)

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Exercise 3A – Question 10
The common region satisfying the set of inequalities x1  0 , x2  0 , L1: x + y  5 ,
L2 : x + 2 y  8 , and L3: 4 x + 3 y  12 is indicated by:

(a) (b)

(c) (d) None

Solution (a)

Additional Question Bank – Question 1

On solving the inequalities 2 x + 5 y  20 , 3x + 2 y  12 , x  0 , y  0 , we get the following
situation:

(a) ( 0, 0 ) , ( 0, 4 ) , ( 4, 0 ) , ( 2011, 3611)

(b) ( 0, 0 ) , (10, 0 ) , ( 0, 6 ) , ( 2011, 3611)
(c) ( 0, 0 ) , ( 0, 4 ) , ( 4, 0 ) , ( 2, 3)
(d) ( 0, 0 ) , (10, 0 ) , ( 0, 6 ) , ( 2, 3)
Solution (a)

Additional Question Bank – Question 2

On solving inequalities 6 x + y  18 , x + 4 y  12 , 2 x + y  10 , we get the following situation:

(a) ( 0, 18) , (12, 0 ) , ( 4, 2 ) , ( 2, 6 )

(b) ( 3, 0 ) , ( 0, 3) , ( 4, 2 ) , ( 7, 6 )
(c) ( 5, 0 ) , ( 0, 10 ) , ( 4, 2 ) , ( 7, 6 )

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 (d) ( 0, 18) , (12, 0 ) , ( 4, 2 ) , ( 0, 0 ) , ( 7, 6 )
Solution (a)

Exercise 3A – Question 1(i)

An employer recruits experienced (x) and fresh workmen (y) for his firm under the condition
that he cannot employ more than 9 people. x and y can be related by the inequality:
(a) x + y  9 (b) x + y  9 ; x  0, y  0
(c) x + y  9 , x  0, y  0 (d) None

Solution (b)

Exercise 3A – Question 1(ii)

On the average experienced person does 5 units of work while a fresh one 3 units of work daily
but the employer has to maintain an output of at least 30 units of work per day. This situation
can be expressed as:
(a) 5x + 3 y  30 (b) 5x + 3 y  30
(c) 5x + 3 y  30 ; x  0 , y  0 (d) None

Solution (c)

Exercise 3A – Question 1(iii)

The rules and regulations demand that the employer should employ not more than 5 experienced
hands to 1 fresh one and this fact can be expressed as:
(a) y  x / 5 (b) 5y  x (c) 5y  x (d) None

Solution (a) or (c)

Exercise 3A – Question 1(iv)

The union however forbids him to employ less than 2 experienced persons to each fresh person.
This situation can be expressed as:
(a) x  y / 2 (b) y  x / 2 (c) y  x / 2 (d) x  2 y

Solution (b)

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Exercise 3A – Question 2
A dietitian wishes to mix together two kinds of food so that the vitamin content of the mixture
is at least 9 units of vitamin A, 7 units of vitamin B, 10 units of vitamin C and 12 units of
vitamin D. The vitamin content per kg. of each food is shown below:
A B C D
Food I 2 1 1 2
Food II 1 1 2 3
Assuming x units of food I is to be mixed with y units of food II the situation can be expressed
as:
(a) 2x + y  9 (b) 2 x + 3 y  30 (c) 2x + y  9 (d) 2x + y  9
x+ y 7 x+ y 7 x+ y 7 x+ y 7
x + 2 y  10 x + 2 y  10 x + y  10 x + 2 y  10
2 x + 3 y  12 x + 3 y  12 x + 3 y  12 2 x + 3 y  12
x  0, y  0 x  0, y  0

Solution (d)

Exercise 3A – Question 8
A firm makes two types of products: Type A and Type B. The profit on product A is ₹20 each
and that on product B is ₹30 each. Both types are processed on three machines M1, M2 and
M3. The time required in hours by each product and total time available in hours per week on
each machine are as follows:
Machine Product A Product B Available Time
M1 3 3 36
M2 5 2 50
M3 2 6 60
The constraints can be formulated taking x1 = number of units A and x2 = number of units of B
as:
(a) x1 + x2  12 (b) 3 x1 + 3 x2  36 (c) 3 x1 + 3 x2  36 (d) None
5 x1 + 2 x2  50 5 x1 + 2 x2  50 5 x1 + 2 x2  50
2 x 1+ 6 x2  60 2 x1 + 6 x2  60 2 x1 + 6 x2  60
x1  0, x2  0 x1  0, x2  0

Solution (c)

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