What happens to one variable when another variable increases in an inversely proportional relationship?

In an inversely proportional relationship, one variable decreases as the other variable increases. This means that the product of the two variables remains constant. For example, if you increase the value of one variable, the other must decrease in order to maintain that constant product.

Thus, when one variable increases, the inversely proportional variable responds by decreasing. This relationship is often represented mathematically as ( y \propto \frac{1}{x} ), indicating that as ( x ) increases, ( y ) decreases. Therefore, if you observe one variable increasing, you can accurately deduce that the other variable will indeed decrease.