Answer Key
8.3 Proportions
Pack A — Answers
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The cost of 5 pens is 7.5 chf. Find the cost of 1 pen. | 1.50 chf |
| 2 | 4 pencils cost 1.20 chf. How much do 10 pencils cost? | 3.00 chf |
| 3 | Test whether the table $(1, 4), (2, 8), (3, 12)$ represents a proportional relationship. | Yes — y/x is constant (= 4). |
| 4 | For the proportional relationship $y = kx$, find $k$ given that $y = 20$ when $x = 4$. | $k = 5$ |
| 5 | Using $y = 6x$, find $y$ when $x = 9$. | 54 |
| 6 | Using $y = 3x$, find $x$ when $y = 24$. | $x = 8$ |
| 7 | On a graph of $y = 2x$, find the $y$-coordinate when $x = -3$. | $y = -6$ |
| 8 | A graph of $y$ against $x$ passes through the origin and the point $(2, 10)$. State the proportionality equation. | $y = 5x$ |
| 9 | In a direct-proportion graph, the line is straight and passes through which point always? | The origin $(0, 0)$. |
| 10 | Decide which equation represents direct proportion: $y = 4x$, $y = x + 4$, $y = x^2$. | $y = 4x$ (proportional) |
| 11 | Distance is directly proportional to time. In 2 minutes a rollercoaster travels 36 m. Find the distance travelled in 3 minutes and in 5 minutes. | 54 m in 3 min; 90 m in 5 min |
| 12 | A printer prints 30 pages in 2 minutes. How long to print 75 pages? | 5 minutes |
| 13 | A school bus uses 12 L of fuel to travel 96 km. How far can it travel on 18 L at the same rate? | 144 km |
| 14 | A cake recipe uses 3 eggs to make 6 cakes. How many eggs are needed for 14 cakes? | 7 eggs |
| 15 | Test whether $y$ is directly proportional to $x$ given the table: x: 2, 5, 8; y: 6, 15, 24. | Yes — $k = 3$. |
| 16 | On the graph of $y = 7x$, what is the gradient of the line? Describe how the gradient relates to $k$. | Gradient = 7. The gradient of $y = kx$ is exactly $k$, the constant of proportionality. |
| 17 | A tap fills a bucket at a constant rate. After 3 minutes there are 12 L in the bucket. (a) Find the rate. (b) Write $V = kt$. (c) Find $V$ at $t = 7$. | (a) 4 L/min (b) $V = 4t$ (c) 28 L |
| 18 | 3 kg of apples costs 7.5 chf. How much do 5 kg cost? | 12.50 chf |
| 19 | Two quantities are directly proportional. When $a = 6$, $b = 15$. Find $b$ when $a = 22$. | $b = 55$ |
| 20 | The graph of $y$ against $x$ is a straight line through the origin with gradient 2.5. State the equation and find $y$ when $x = 6$. | $y = 2.5x$; $y = 15$ |
| 21 | For two quantities $x$ and $y$, $y$ is directly proportional to $x$. When $x = 4$, $y = 18$. (a) Write an equation linking $x$ and $y$. (b) Find $y$ when $x = 10$. (c) Find $x$ when $y = 90$. | (a) $y = 4.5 x$ (b) $y = 45$ (c) $x = 20$ |
| 22 | Decide whether each table represents direct proportion. Justify. Table A: x = 1, 2, 4, y = 3, 6, 12. Table B: x = 1, 2, 4, y = 3, 6, 8. | A: yes ($k = 3$). B: no. |
| 23 | In a sale, the cost $C$ of buying $n$ tickets is $C = 12.50n$. (a) State the unit cost. (b) How many tickets can you buy with 100 chf? (c) Is this a proportional relationship? Justify. | (a) 12.50 chf (b) 8 tickets (c) Yes — passes through origin, $C/n$ constant. |
| 24 | The cost of running a car for $d$ km is $C = 0.18d$ chf. (a) Find the cost for 250 km. (b) Find $d$ for a budget of 90 chf. (c) Sketch the graph and label the gradient. | (a) 45 chf (b) 500 km (c) Straight line through origin, gradient 0.18 |
| 25 | Two friends share a rate. Alex earns 40 chf for 5 hours of work. Brigit earns 60 chf for 8 hours. Whose hourly rate is higher? | Alex (8 chf/h vs Brigit 7.50 chf/h). |
| 26 | A scale model is a proportional copy of a real building. The model door is 6 cm tall and the real door is 2 m tall. (a) Find the scale factor. (b) The real building is 24 m tall. Find the height of the model. | (a) 1 cm : 33.3 cm (b) 72 cm |
| 27 | The mass of a uniform metal bar is directly proportional to its length. A 50 cm bar has mass 120 g. (a) Write an equation. (b) Find the mass of a 75 cm bar. (c) Find the length of a 240 g bar. | (a) $m = 2.4 \ell$ (b) 180 g (c) 100 cm |
| 28 | On a fitness tracker, calories burned $C$ is roughly proportional to steps $s$: $C = 0.04s$. (a) How many calories for 8000 steps? (b) How many steps to burn 200 calories? (c) Is the relationship truly proportional in real life? Justify briefly. | (a) 320 cal (b) 5000 steps (c) Approximately, but actual calories depend on weight, gradient, speed, etc. |
| 29 | A graph of $y$ versus $x$ shows a straight line through the origin. From the graph, $y = 12$ when $x = 8$. (a) Find $k$. (b) Find $y$ when $x = 20$. (c) Find $x$ when $y = 30$. | (a) $k = 1.5$ (b) $y = 30$ (c) $x = 20$ |
| 30 | A car travels $d$ km on $\ell$ litres of fuel: $d = 14\ell$. (a) State the unit rate (km/L). (b) Find $d$ when $\ell = 28$. (c) The driver only has 600 chf and fuel costs 2 chf/L. What is the maximum distance she can drive? | (a) 14 km/L (b) 392 km (c) 4200 km |
| 31 | A tap fills a bath proportionally to time. After 5 min the bath has 30 L. (a) Write a model $V = kt$. (b) The bath holds 200 L. How long to fill from empty? (c) The drain leaks at 2 L/min (constant). Modify the model to account for the leak, and find the time to fill. | (a) $V = 6t$ (b) $≈ 33.3$ min (c) $V = (6-2)t = 4t$ → $50$ min |
| 32 | A rectangular field has length proportional to width: $\ell = 2w$. The perimeter is 60 m. (a) Find $\ell$ and $w$. (b) Find the area. (c) If the perimeter doubles, what happens to the area? Justify. | (a) $w = 10$, $\ell = 20$ (b) 200 m² (c) Area becomes 800 m² — quadruples (linear scale 2 → area scale 4). |
| 33 | Compare two paint-mixing schemes. Scheme A: $y = 2x$ (yellow per blue). Scheme B: $y = 3x - 4$. Identify which is proportional and find values that give the same shade in both. | A is proportional ($y = 2x$); B is not (passes through (0, -4)). Same shade when $2x = 3x - 4$, i.e. $x = 4$, $y = 8$. |
| 34 | Investigate: if $y \propto x$ and $x \propto z$, show that $y \propto z$ and find the combined constant. | Yes — $y = k_1 x$ and $x = k_2 z$ ⇒ $y = k_1 k_2 z$, so $y \propto z$ with constant $k_1 k_2$. |
| 35 | On a graph of $y = kx$, two points are $(3, p)$ and $(8, p + 20)$. Find $k$ and $p$. | $k = 4, p = 12$ |
| 36 | Distance is directly proportional to time. A cyclist covers 12 km in 30 min. (a) Find the speed. (b) Write a model with units. (c) Determine how far in 1 h 45 min. (d) Sketch the d–t graph for the first 2 hours. | (a) 24 km/h (b) $d = 24t$ (t in h) (c) 42 km (d) Line through origin slope 24 |
| 37 | A rope is divided into 3 lengths in the ratio $2:3:5$. The longest is 60 cm longer than the shortest. (a) Find each length. (b) If the lengths are doubled, are the ratios still $2:3:5$? Justify. | (a) 40, 60, 100 cm (b) Yes — scaling all by the same factor preserves ratios. |
| 38 | Two quantities are proportional: $y$ doubles every time $x$ doubles. The point $(2, 8)$ lies on the graph. (a) Find the constant of proportionality. (b) Find $y$ when $x = 7$. (c) Sketch the graph and explain why doubling $x$ doubles $y$. | (a) $k = 4$ (b) $y = 28$ (c) See working |
| 39 | Show by counter-example that a relationship may have constant ratio at two points but not be proportional overall. | E.g. data (1, 3) and (2, 6) gives ratio 3, but adding (3, 8) breaks proportionality. |
| 40 | Investigate: is the perimeter of a square proportional to its side length? Is the area? Justify. | Perimeter: yes ($P = 4s$). Area: no ($A = s^2$, a power relationship). |
Pack B — Answers
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The cost of 8 pens is 12 chf. Find the cost of 1 pen. | 1.50 chf |
| 2 | 4 pencils cost 1.20 chf. How much do 15 pencils cost? | 4.50 chf |
| 3 | Test whether the table $(1, 3), (2, 9), (3, 27)$ represents a proportional relationship. | No — y/x is not constant (3, 4.5, 9). |
| 4 | For the proportional relationship $y = kx$, find $k$ given that $y = 35$ when $x = 5$. | $k = 7$ |
| 5 | Using $y = 4x$, find $y$ when $x = 12$. | 48 |
| 6 | Using $y = 5x$, find $x$ when $y = 40$. | $x = 8$ |
| 7 | On a graph of $y = 2x$, find the $y$-coordinate when $x = -3$. | $y = -6$ |
| 8 | A graph of $y$ against $x$ passes through the origin and the point $(2, 10)$. State the proportionality equation. | $y = 4x$ |
| 9 | In a direct-proportion graph, the line is straight and passes through which point always? | The origin $(0, 0)$. |
| 10 | Decide which equation represents direct proportion: $y = 4x$, $y = x + 4$, $y = x^2$. | $y = 4x$ |
| 11 | Distance is directly proportional to time. In 2 minutes a rollercoaster travels 50 m. Find the distance travelled in 3 minutes and in 7 minutes. | 75 m in 3 min; 175 m in 7 min |
| 12 | A printer prints 24 pages in 3 minutes. How long to print 60 pages? | 7.5 minutes |
| 13 | A school bus uses 15 L of fuel to travel 180 km. How far can it travel on 25 L at the same rate? | 300 km |
| 14 | A cake recipe uses 2 eggs to make 6 cakes. How many eggs are needed for 15 cakes? | 5 eggs |
| 15 | Test whether $y$ is directly proportional to $x$ given the table: x: 2, 5, 8; y: 6, 15, 24. | Yes — $k = 4$. |
| 16 | On the graph of $y = 3x$, what is the gradient of the line? Describe how the gradient relates to $k$. | Gradient = 3. Same general rule. |
| 17 | A tap fills a bucket at a constant rate. After 3 minutes there are 12 L in the bucket. (a) Find the rate. (b) Write $V = kt$. (c) Find $V$ at $t = 7$. | (a) 2.5 L/min (b) $V = 2.5t$ (c) 22.5 L |
| 18 | 4 kg of apples costs 10 chf. How much do 7 kg cost? | 17.50 chf |
| 19 | Two quantities are directly proportional. When $a = 6$, $b = 15$. Find $b$ when $a = 22$. | $b = 37.5$ |
| 20 | The graph of $y$ against $x$ is a straight line through the origin with gradient 0.4. State the equation and find $y$ when $x = 15$. | $y = 0.4x$; $y = 6$ |
| 21 | For two quantities $x$ and $y$, $y$ is directly proportional to $x$. When $x = 5$, $y = 35$. (a) Write an equation linking $x$ and $y$. (b) Find $y$ when $x = 12$. (c) Find $x$ when $y = 91$. | (a) $y = 7 x$ (b) $y = 84$ (c) $x = 13$ |
| 22 | Decide whether each table represents direct proportion. Justify. Table A: x = 1, 2, 4, y = 3, 6, 12. Table B: x = 1, 2, 4, y = 3, 6, 8. | A: yes. B: no. |
| 23 | In a sale, the cost $C$ of buying $n$ tickets is $C = 12.50n$. (a) State the unit cost. (b) How many tickets can you buy with 100 chf? (c) Is this a proportional relationship? Justify. | (a) 8.50 chf (b) 11 (with 6 chf left) (c) Yes. |
| 24 | The cost of running a car for $d$ km is $C = 0.18d$ chf. (a) Find the cost for 250 km. (b) Find $d$ for a budget of 90 chf. (c) Sketch the graph and label the gradient. | (a) 55 chf (b) ≈ 409 km (c) Gradient 0.22 |
| 25 | Two friends share a rate. Alex earns 40 chf for 5 hours of work. Brigit earns 60 chf for 8 hours. Whose hourly rate is higher? | Alex (9 chf/h vs Brigit ≈ 8.33 chf/h). |
| 26 | A scale model is a proportional copy of a real building. The model door is 6 cm tall and the real door is 2 m tall. (a) Find the scale factor. (b) The real building is 24 m tall. Find the height of the model. | (a) 1 cm : 40 cm (b) 50 cm |
| 27 | The mass of a uniform metal bar is directly proportional to its length. A 50 cm bar has mass 120 g. (a) Write an equation. (b) Find the mass of a 75 cm bar. (c) Find the length of a 240 g bar. | (a) $m = 2.5 \ell$ (b) 187.5 g (c) 96 cm |
| 28 | On a fitness tracker, calories burned $C$ is roughly proportional to steps $s$: $C = 0.04s$. (a) How many calories for 8000 steps? (b) How many steps to burn 200 calories? (c) Is the relationship truly proportional in real life? Justify briefly. | See Pack A. |
| 29 | A graph of $y$ versus $x$ shows a straight line through the origin. From the graph, $y = 12$ when $x = 8$. (a) Find $k$. (b) Find $y$ when $x = 20$. (c) Find $x$ when $y = 30$. | (a) $k = 4/3$ (b) $y = 80/3 ≈ 26.67$ (c) $x = 22.5$ |
| 30 | A car travels $d$ km on $\ell$ litres of fuel: $d = 14\ell$. (a) State the unit rate (km/L). (b) Find $d$ when $\ell = 28$. (c) The driver only has 600 chf and fuel costs 2 chf/L. What is the maximum distance she can drive? | (a) 12 km/L (b) 336 km (c) 2880 km |
| 31 | A tap fills a bath proportionally to time. After 5 min the bath has 30 L. (a) Write a model $V = kt$. (b) The bath holds 200 L. How long to fill from empty? (c) The drain leaks at 2 L/min (constant). Modify the model to account for the leak, and find the time to fill. | See Pack A. |
| 32 | A rectangular field has length proportional to width: $\ell = 2w$. The perimeter is 60 m. (a) Find $\ell$ and $w$. (b) Find the area. (c) If the perimeter doubles, what happens to the area? Justify. | (a) $w = 15$, $\ell = 30$ (b) 450 m² (c) Quadruples to 1800 m². |
| 33 | Compare two paint-mixing schemes. Scheme A: $y = 2x$ (yellow per blue). Scheme B: $y = 3x - 4$. Identify which is proportional and find values that give the same shade in both. | A proportional. Same at $3x = 4x - 5$, $x = 5$, $y = 15$. |
| 34 | Investigate: if $y \propto x$ and $x \propto z$, show that $y \propto z$ and find the combined constant. | Same. |
| 35 | On a graph of $y = kx$, two points are $(3, p)$ and $(8, p + 20)$. Find $k$ and $p$. | $k = 5, p = 10$ |
| 36 | Distance is directly proportional to time. A cyclist covers 12 km in 30 min. (a) Find the speed. (b) Write a model with units. (c) Determine how far in 1 h 45 min. (d) Sketch the d–t graph for the first 2 hours. | (a) 27 km/h (b) $d = 27t$ (c) 60.75 km (d) slope 27 |
| 37 | A rope is divided into 3 lengths in the ratio $2:3:5$. The longest is 60 cm longer than the shortest. (a) Find each length. (b) If the lengths are doubled, are the ratios still $2:3:5$? Justify. | See Pack A. |
| 38 | Two quantities are proportional: $y$ doubles every time $x$ doubles. The point $(2, 8)$ lies on the graph. (a) Find the constant of proportionality. (b) Find $y$ when $x = 7$. (c) Sketch the graph and explain why doubling $x$ doubles $y$. | (a) $k = 3$ (b) $y = 21$ (c) See working |
| 39 | Show by counter-example that a relationship may have constant ratio at two points but not be proportional overall. | Similar — use a parabola or piecewise example. |
| 40 | Investigate: is the perimeter of a square proportional to its side length? Is the area? Justify. | Same. |
Problems — Worked Solutions
**Direct proportion + a graph.** Distance is directly proportional to time for a rollercoaster: in 2 minutes it travels 36 m. (a) Find the unit rate in metres per minute. (b) Write an equation $d = \ldots$ linking distance $d$ (m) and time $t$ (minutes). (c) Use your equation to find how far the rollercoaster travels in 12 minutes. (d) The rollercoaster's track is 540 m long. How long does it take to traverse the full track at constant speed?
(a) 18 m/min (b) $d = 18t$ (c) 216 m (d) 30 minutes
**Tour de Suisse training.** A cyclist trains over a 4-week plan, increasing her weekly distance by 20% each week. In week 1 she covers 80 km. (a) How far does she cycle in week 4? (b) Find her total distance over the four weeks (to the nearest km). (c) Express her week-4 distance as a percentage of her week-1 distance. (d) Is the relationship between distance and week number proportional? Justify.
(a) 138.24 km (b) 429 km (c) 172.8% (d) No — geometric (multiplicative), not proportional.
**Testing proportionality.** A student records distances driven by a car against fuel used: | Fuel (L) | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | |----------|---|----|----|----| | Distance (km) | 60 | 120 | 180 | 240 | (a) Show that distance is proportional to fuel and find $k$. (b) Write the equation. (c) Predict the distance for 28 L of fuel. (d) How much fuel is needed for 300 km?
(a) Ratios all equal 12 km/L (b) $d = 12f$ (c) 336 km (d) 25 L
**Recipe per person.** A recipe to feed 8 people uses: 480 g flour, 320 g sugar, 6 eggs. (a) Find the amount of each ingredient per person. (b) How much of each is needed for 12 people? (c) A chef has 1 kg flour, 800 g sugar, 10 eggs. What is the limiting ingredient if she wants to scale the recipe up exactly?
(a) 60 g flour, 40 g sugar, 0.75 eggs per person (b) 720 g flour, 480 g sugar, 9 eggs (c) Eggs
**Investigation.** Decide which of these is a proportional relationship and justify by sketching the graph. (a) Earnings $E$ at a flat hourly rate (no fee): $E = 12h$. (b) Taxi fare: $F = 4 + 1.5d$ (flat fee + per km). (c) Area of a square: $A = s^2$. (d) Cost of pencils at 30p each: $C = 0.30n$.
(a) Yes (b) No (has $y$-intercept 4) (c) No (curve, not linear) (d) Yes
**Volume vs surface area.** A cube of side $s$ has volume $V = s^3$ and surface area $S = 6s^2$. (a) Are $V$ and $s$ directly proportional? Justify. (b) Are $S$ and $s$ directly proportional? Justify. (c) Find the ratio $V/S$ in terms of $s$. What happens to this ratio as $s$ grows?
(a) No (b) No (c) $V/S = s/6$ — grows linearly with $s$.
**Currency conversion.** On a particular day, 1 USD = 0.92 CHF. (a) Write the conversion equation $C = kU$. (b) Convert 250 USD to CHF. (c) Convert 460 CHF to USD. (d) Is this a proportional relationship? Justify.
(a) $C = 0.92U$ (b) 230 CHF (c) 500 USD (d) Yes
**Investigating inverse relationships.** Distance $d$, speed $v$ and time $t$ are linked by $d = vt$. (a) For a fixed distance of 60 km, complete the table: | $v$ (km/h) | 60 | 30 | 20 | 15 | |------------|----|----|----|----| | $t$ (h) | ? | ? | ? | ? | (b) Is $t$ directly proportional to $v$? Justify. (c) Define inverse proportion and write $t$ in the form $t = k/v$.
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) No (c) $t = 60/v$
**Population growth.** A town's population grows from 12 000 to 15 000 over 5 years. Assume linear (proportional) growth. (a) Find the average annual growth rate (in absolute numbers). (b) Write an equation $P = P_0 + kt$ and identify $P_0$ and $k$. (c) Estimate the population in 10 years. (d) Is **percentage** growth proportional? Justify.
(a) 600 people/year (b) $P = 12000 + 600t$ (c) 18 000 (d) No — exponential, not proportional.
**Best buy investigation.** A market sells potatoes: - 1 kg sack: 2.20 chf - 2.5 kg sack: 5.25 chf - 5 kg sack: 9.50 chf (a) Find the price per kg for each pack. (b) Plot 'price' against 'mass'. Does the relationship form a straight line through the origin? Discuss. (c) Which sack is best value per kg? (d) Suggest a reason why larger sacks are cheaper per kg.
(a) 2.20, 2.10, 1.90 chf/kg (b) Not a straight line through the origin — bulk discount (c) 5 kg sack (d) Bulk discounts / lower per-unit packaging cost.
**Petrol cost.** Petrol costs 1.80 chf per litre. Your car uses 7 litres per 100 km. (a) Write a formula for petrol cost $C$ (chf) as a function of distance $d$ (km). (b) Find $C$ for $d = 320$ km. (c) If petrol rises to 2.00 chf/L, find the new cost for 320 km. (d) For a 600-km trip, find the change in cost between the old and new petrol prices.
(a) $C = 0.126d$ (b) ≈ 40.32 chf (c) ≈ 44.80 chf (d) ≈ 8.40 chf
**Hours and earnings.** A part-time worker is paid 18 chf/h for the first 20 hours per week and 25 chf/h for any extra hours. (a) Is total weekly pay directly proportional to hours worked? Justify. (b) Plot weekly pay versus hours from 0 to 30 hours. (c) The worker earns 510 chf one week. How many hours did she work?
(a) No — piecewise linear with a kink at 20 h (b) Two segments (c) 26 hours