If \( y \) is a real number greater than 1 , which of the following must be true for the value of \( y^{-2} \) ?

Since \( y \) is a real number greater than 1, we know that \( y^{-2} \) is the reciprocal of \( y^2 \). Therefore, as \( y \) increases, \( y^2 \) also increases, making \( y^{-2} \) decrease. Specifically, since \( y > 1 \), it follows that \( y^2 > 1 \), and consequently, \( y^{-2} = \frac{1}{y^2} < 1 \). Thus, \( y^{-2} \) must always be a positive number that is less than 1. In practical terms, using values can illustrate this. For instance, if \( y = 2 \), then \( y^{-2} = \frac{1}{4} \), which is indeed less than 1. The more significant implication here is that \( y^{-2} \) will always be a positive fraction for any real \( y > 1\), reinforcing that it approaches zero but never actually reaches it as \( y \) grows larger.