Mathematics G8 : Proportion
Proportion
A. Direct Proportion
Direct proportion occurs when one quantities increases, the other
increases proportionally.
We say that two quantities, x and y, are in direct proportion if :
𝑦
= 𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝑦 = 𝑘𝑥 , where k is a constant and k ≠ 0.
𝑥
The graph of y against x is a straight line passing through the origin.
Example :
Jenny works part time in a toy shop. The table below summarises the
number of hours (x) she works and the corresponding salary ($y).
X2
Number of hours (x) 1 2 3 4 5 6
Salary ($y) 6 12 18 24 30 36
X2
𝐲 6 6 6 6 6 6
𝐱
Exercise Direct Proportion
1. The following table shows the number of hours worked (t) and the
correponding wages ($w) of a worker.
Number of hours worked (t) 10 20 30 40 50
Wages ($w) 150 300 450 600 750
a. Show that t and w are in direct proportion.
b. Express w in terms of t.
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Mathematics G8 : Proportion
c. If the worker worked 35 hours, find his wages.
d. Find the number of hours he worked if his wages were $675.
e. Draw the graph of w against t.
2. The number of pieces, n, of chocolates and their total mass, M grams,
are in direct proportion. The mass of 15 pieces of chocolate is 180 g. Find
the mass of 20 pieces of chocolate.
3. The distance, y km, of a cyclist from a park at time t hours is given by
the following graph. Determine whether y is directly proportional to t.
4. The following table gives the mass, y grams, of an ice cube of side x cm.
x 1 2 3 4 5
y 0,9 7,2 24,3 57,6 112,5
a. Plot a graph of y against x.
b. Plot a graph of y against 𝑥3 .
c. What can you say about the relationship between x and y.
d. Decribe the change in y when the value of x is halved.
5. For each equation, determine which two quantites are directly
proportional to each other.
a. A = ꙥ 𝑟2
b. y = 3 𝑝 + 1
c. 𝑦2 = 0,1 𝑥3
d. Y = 2x - 3
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Mathematics G8 : Proportion
6. The price, $p, of a square place of glass panel is directly proportiona to
the square of the length of its side, x cm. When the side is 20 cm, the
price is $10.
a. Write an equation connecting p and x.
b. Find the price when the length of its side is 25 cm.
c. Find the length of its side when the price is $15.
7. The variables y and 𝑥 are directly proportional. It is given that the
difference between the values of y when x = 2 and x = 3 is 38. Form an
equation relating y and x.
B. Inverse Proportion
Inverse proportion occurs when one quantities increase, the other
decreases proportionally.
We say that two quantities, x and y, are in inverse proportion if:
𝑘 1
xy = k or y = 𝑥 = k . (𝑥)
The graph of y against x is a hyperbola,
Example :
A fixed amount of water is poured into containers of various uniform
cross-sections each time. The table below shows the height of water, y
cm, in each corresponding container with base area, x 𝑐𝑚2.
Base area (x 𝑐𝑚2 ) 10 20 30 40 50
Height of water (y cm) 36 18 12 9 7,2
xy = 360
1
y = 360 .
𝑥
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Mathematics G8 : Proportion
Exercsie Inverse Proportion
1. The following table shows the corresponding volume (V 𝑐𝑚3 ) of air
inside a syringe when the air pressure is P units.
Pressure (P units) 1 2 3 4 5 6
Volume (V 𝑐𝑚3 ) 120 60 40 30 24 20
a. Show that P and V are inverse proportion.
b. Find the equation connecting P and V.
c. Draw the graph of V against P.
1
d. Draw the graph of V against .
𝑝
e. Find the volume of air when the air pressure is 8 units.
2. The total value of x number of $2 notes and y number of $1 coins in a
wallet is $15. The following table shows some corresponding values of x
and y.
x 1 3 4 5 6
y 13 9 7 5 3
a. Plot the graph of y against x.
b. Determine whether x and y are in inverse proportion.
3. A large bottle of soft drink is shared equally among n boys. Each boy
drinks V 𝑐𝑚3 of soft drink. It is known that n and V are in inverse
proportion.
a. When there are 6 boys sharing the drink, each boy drinks 250 𝑐𝑚3 of it.
How much can each boy drink when there are 10 boys ?
b. The number of boys in each of two groups are in the ratio 4 : 9. One
bottle of drink is shared among the boys in one group. Find the ratio of
the volumes of soft drink a boy in each group drink.
4. For each equation, determine which two quantities are inversely
proportional to each other.
2
a. y = 3
𝑥+1
1
b. 𝑦 =
2
𝑥−1
5
c. Y + 1 =𝑥2
d. Y = 8𝑥2
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Mathematics G8 : Proportion
5. According to Newton’s Law, the gravitational attraction force, F
Newtons, between two objects, is inversely proportional to the square of
the distance, d metres, between them. When the two objects are 5
metres apart, the force is 12 Newtons.
a. Find the force between th two objects when they are 15 metres apart.
b. When the force between the two objects is 0,75 Newtons, what is the
distance between them ?
