Determine parameter p?

[Ana.stasia]

So my goal was to determine parameter p so that 2n=m. I got 1 and it is correct. However, there is another solution mentioned, - 1/3. How do I get that?

 

[Dr.Peterson]

So my goal was to determine parameter p so that 2n=m. I got 1 and it is correct. However, there is another solution mentioned, - 1/3. How do I get that?

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Presumably m and n represent the x- and y-intercepts, respectively; since that is not universal, you should state that.

Your work is correct.

But if you let p = -1/3, you get an equation for which m = -24 and n = 12, so that m = -2n. This is a solution to a different problem.

What was the actual wording of the problem?

 

[Ana.stasia]

Presumably m and n represent the x- and y-intercepts, respectively; since that is not universal, you should state that.

Your work is correct.

But if you let p = -1/3, you get an equation for which m = -24 and n = 12, so that m = -2n. This is a solution to a different problem.

What was the actual wording of the problem?

In the equation px + (p + 1) y - 8 = 0, determine the parameter p so that the line builds twice the segment on the abscissa axis than on the ordinate.

 

[Dr.Peterson]

In the equation px + (p + 1) y - 8 = 0, determine the parameter p so that the line builds twice the segment on the abscissa axis than on the ordinate.

That's what I suspected. They are talking about lengths of segments (unsigned), not coordinates (signed); so this translates to |m| = 2|n|.