To determine the constant for an inverse variation, we can use the formula for inverse variation, which states:
y = k/x
where k is the constant. Given that y is 40 when x is 5, we can substitute these values into the equation to find k.
Substituting the known values:
40 = k/5
To solve for k, we can multiply both sides by 5:
40 * 5 = k
This simplifies to:
k = 200
Hence, the constant k is 200. This means that for any pair of values that satisfy the inverse relationship between x and y, the product of x and y will always equal 200.