PROPORTION

BY THE END OF THIS Proportion

CHAPTER YOU WILL
BE ABLE TO: In Chapter 11 you solved problems involving proportion. When two quantities
● express direct and are in direct proportion, as one quantity increases, so does the other.
inverse proportion
in algebraic terms For example, a truck travels x km using y litres of fuel.
and use this form of In this case, y varies in the same way as x. If you double x, you also double y.
expression to find
unknown quantities. It is possible to express this in symbols as y ∝ x, which is read as ‘y varies as
x’ or ‘y is proportional to x’.
When two quantities are in indirect proportion, as one quantity increases,
CHECK YOU CAN: the other decreases.
● find and use multipliers For example, x workers can dig a hole in y days.
● manipulate simple In this case, y varies inversely as x. If you double x, you halve y.
formulas
● substitute numbers This is the same as ‘y varies as 1x ’ which is written in symbols as y ∝ 1x .
into simple formulas.
Exercise 26.1
1 Describe the proportion in each of these situations, using the symbol ∝.
Note a The time the journey takes, t, and the speed of the train, s.
You can easily tell b The number of pages in a book, p, and the number of words, w.
whether the proportion c The depth of water in a rectangular tank, d, and the length of time it
is direct or inverse – in has been filling, t.
direct proportion, both d The number of buses, b, needed to carry 2000 people, and the number
variables change in of seats on a bus, s.
the same way, either e The time a journey takes, t, at a fixed speed, and the distance covered, d.
up or down; in inverse f The number of ice creams you can buy, c, and the amount of money
proportion, when one you have, m.
variable goes up, the
2 Describe the proportion shown in each of these tables of values. Use the
other will go down.
symbol ∝.
a b
3 15 4 15
1 5 28 105

c d
8 20 10 12
10 4 50 60

e f
24 4.8 3 15
16 3.2 5 1

g h
3 15 8 20
2 10 10 25

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 Proportion as a formula

i 1 0.1 j 16 56
50 500 6.4 22.4

Proportion as a formula

Example 26.1
Question Solution
Find the formula connecting x and y. You can see that y ∝ x.
So the formula will be y = kx.
5 15
When x = 5, y = 3.
3 9
3
Substituting these values in the equation gives 3 = k × 5, so k = 5 .
This gives the formula y = 35 x .

Example 26.2
Question
Find the formula connecting x and y.
4 20
10 2

Solution
1
y∝ x
1
So y = k × x or y = kx .
When x = 4, y = 10.
k
Substituting these values in the formula gives 10 = 4
so k = 10 × 4 = 40.
40
This gives the formula y = x .
40 40
Check the formula works for the other pair of values in the table: y = x = 20
= 2, which is correct.

Exercise 26.2
1 Find a formula for each proportion in Exercise 26.1, question 2.
2 Ohm’s law states that if a voltage, V volts, is applied across the terminals
of an electrical component, and if the current flowing in the component
is I amperes, then I ∝ V.
When V = 15, I = 2.5.
a Find the formula for the proportion.
b Find I when V = 60 volts.

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26 PROPORTION

3 If w m is the wavelength of a sound wave and f hertz is the frequency of

the wave, then w ∝ 1f .
When f = 300 hertz, w = 1.1 m.
a Find the formula for the proportion.
b Find w when f = 660 hertz.
4 The variables A and B are such that B = 50 when A = 20.
a i Write down a formula where A is directly proportional to B.
ii Write down a formula where A is inversely proportional to B.
b Calculate B when A = 25 for each of the two formulas you have found.

Other types of proportion

The examples you have met in this chapter so far have been for proportion:
y ∝ x and y ∝ 1x .
Sometimes two variables can be related in more complicated ways.

For example, y ∝ x 2 , y ∝ 12 ,, y ∝ x , y ∝ 1 ,, y ∝ x 3 , y ∝ 3 x and y ∝ 13

x x x
This is the method you use for finding the formula for the proportion.
It is the same method you used previously.
● First write the proportionality using the ∝ sign. For example, y ∝ x2.
● Replace the ∝ sign with = and multiply the right-hand side by k.
For example, y = kx2.
● Substitute a known pair of values for x and y.
● Solve the equation to �nd k.
● Rewrite the formula using the found value of k.

Example 26.3
Question
y is proportional to x² and when x = 5, y = 10.
a Find a formula connecting x and y. b Find the value of y when x = 15.

Solution
a y ∝ x2
So y = kx² Note
10 = k × 5² Substitute x = 5, y = 10. There are different ways of
10 2 talking about proportion.
k= 25
= 5
Solve for k.
‘y varies directly as x²’
2
y= x² Substitute for k in the formula. means the same as ‘y is
5
proportional to x²’.
2
b y= 5
× 15² = 90 Substitute x = 15 into the formula.

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 Other types of proportion

Example 26.4
Question
y is inversely proportional to x² and when x = 5, y = 10.
a Find a formula connecting x and y.
b Find the value of y when x = 10.
c Find the value of x when y = 1000.

Solution Note
1
a y∝ x 2
For inverse proportion you can go straight to
1 k the fraction version with k as the numerator.
So y = k × x2 2
= 2 2
x

k
10 = 52
Substitute x = 5, y = 10.

k = 10 × 25 = 250 Solve for k.

250
y= x2
Substitute for k in the formula.
250
b y= 102
= 2.5 Substitute x = 10 into the formula.
250
c 1000 = x2
Substitute y = 1000 into the formula.

1000x² = 250
250
x² = 1000
1
x² = 4

x=± 1
4
= ± 21

Example 26.5
Question
1
y∝ x2
and y = 7 when x = 7.
Find y when x = 14.

Solution
Although you can use the formula method, this is quicker.
x has been multiplied by 2.
Since y is inversely proportional to x², y will be divided by 2².
7
y= 22
= 1.75

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26 PROPORTION

Example 26.6
Question
y varies inversely as the square root of x.
When x = 4, y = 12.
Find the value of y when x = 9.

Solution
First, find the formula connecting x and y.
1
y∝ x

1 k
So y = k ×× x
==
x

k
12 = 4
Substitute x = 4, y = 12.

k = 12 × 2 = 24 Solve for k.
24
y= x
Substitute for k in the formula.
24
y= 9
=8 Substitute x = 9 into the formula.

Example 26.7
Question
y is inversely proportional to x².
When x takes a certain value, y is 18.
Find the value of y when x is multiplied by 3.

Solution
x is multiplied by 3.
Since y is inversely proportional to x², y will be divided by 3².
18
y= 32
=2

Exercise 26.3
1 y ∝ x2 and y = 3 when x = 6.
a Find a formula connecting x and y.
b Find y when x = 12.
c Find x when y = 48.
2 y ∝ x12 and y = 4 when x = 4.
a Find a formula connecting x and y.
b Find y when x = 8.
c Find x when y = 25.

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 Other types of proportion

3 y is directly proportional to the square root of x and y = 8 when x = 9.

a Find a formula connecting x and y.
b Find y when x = 36.
c Find x when y = 4.
4 y varies inversely as the cube of x and y = 5 when x = 2.
a Find a formula connecting x and y.
b Find y when x = 5.
c Find x when y = 320.
5 y is directly proportional to x3 and y = 20 when x = 2.
a Find a formula connecting x and y.
b Find y when x = 4.
c Find x when y = 540.
6 y ∝ x2 and y = 9 when x = 7.5.
Find y when x = 5.
7 y ∝ x12 and y = 10 when x = 3.
Find y when x = 12.
8 y ∝ x and y = 6 when x = 25.
Find y when x = 16.
9 y ∝ x13 and y = 1 when x = 2.
2
Find y when x = 1.
10 y ∝ 3 x and y = 6 when x = 27.
Find y when x = 1.
11 y is inversely proportional to x2.
y = 4 when x = 3.
Find y when x = 10.
12 A car skids to a halt in an accident.
Investigators measure the length, l metres, of the skid to estimate the
speed, v m/s, at which the car had been travelling before the accident.
The speed is proportional to the square root of the length of the skid.
a Given that a car travelling at 20 m/s skids 25 m, find a formula for v
in terms of l.
b Use your formula to find the speed of a car which skids 100 m.
13 Seven people can paint a bridge in 15 days.
a How long will it take 3 people to paint the bridge?
b The bridge was painted in t days.
Write down an expression, in terms of t, for the number of people
needed to paint the bridge.
14 The force, F, between two particles is inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between them.
The force is 36 newtons when the distance between the particles is
r metres.
Find the force when the distance between the particles is 3r metres.

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26 PROPORTION

15 The braking distance of a car is directly proportional to the square of

its speed.
When the speed is p metres per second, the braking distance is 6 m.
When the speed is increased by 300%, �nd
a an expression for the speed of the car
b the braking distance
c the percentage increase in the braking distance.
16 Describe the variation shown in each of these tables of values.
Use the symbol ∝.
a 5 25
b 5 10
5 125 5 1.25

c d
5 2.5 4 6
5 10 18 8

e f
2 6 1 0.25
7 63 1 4

g h
54 21.6 24 48
33 13.2 4 1

Key points
● The symbol ∝ means ‘is proportional to’.
● For direct proportion, y ∝ x , y ∝ x 2 , y ∝ x 3 , y ∝ x , y ∝ 3 x .
1 1
● For indirect proportion, y ∝ x2
, y ∝ x , and so on.
● Proportion can be expressed as a formula. For instance, y ∝ x 2 , has
the formula y = kx 2 . The value of k can be found by substituting a
pair of corresponding values for x and y.

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 REVIEW EXERCISE 5
Ch 23 1 Solve these equations.
a x3 − 5 = 1 [2]

b 3(2x + 4) = 2x [2]
2 x
c + =1 [4]
x +1 x − 3

Ch 23 2 Rearrange each formula to make a the subject.

a d = 4a + 3 f [2]

b c= t
− 3b [2]
a
c av = 3(2 a + w) [3]

p+3
3 Make p the subject of the formula t = . [3]
p−4
Ch 23 Cambridge O Level Mathematics Syllabus D (4024) Paper 12 Q26a, June 2016

Ch 24 4 Solve these inequalities.

a 4x − 15 > 3 [2]
b 3 << 2x ++ 4 10 [2]

Ch 23 5 a Solve these simultaneous equations.

Show your working.
2x − 4y = 11
3x + 3y = –6 [4]
b Solve the equation 2x2 = 3(8 − x).
Show all your working and give your answers correct to 2 decimal places. [4]
Cambridge O Level Mathematics Syllabus D (4024) Paper 22 Q5a & b, June 2020

Ch 20 6 a Solve 5x2 + 13x − 6 by factorisation. [3]

Ch 23 b i Write x2 − 6x − 5 in completed square form, (x + a)2 + b [2]
ii Hence solve the equation x2 − 6x − 5 = 0 and give your answers in a form which is exact. [2]

6 5
7 Solve = . [2]
x +1 x − 3
Ch 23
Cambridge O Level Mathematics Syllabus D (4024) Paper 11 Q24a, June 2017

8 y is proportional to (x − 1)2.
Given that y = 18 when x = 4, find y when x = 6. [2]
Ch 26
Cambridge O Level Mathematics Syllabus D (4024) Paper 11 Q19, June 2021

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 REVIEW EXERCISE 5

9 y varies inversely as the cube root of x and y = −3 when x = 64.

a Find a formula connecting x and y. [2]
Ch 26
b Find x when y = 4. [1]

10 y
B NOT TO
Ch 24 SCALE

O 4 x
In the diagram, OABC is a parallelogram.
The equation of the line CB is y = x + 2.
The region inside the parallelogram is defined by four inequalities.
One of these is y < x + 2.
Write down the other three inequalities. [2]
Cambridge O Level Mathematics Syllabus D (4024) Paper 11 Q16a, November 2020

11 Here are the first three patterns in a sequence made using dots and lines.
Ch 25

Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3

a Complete the table for the first five patterns in this sequence.

Pattern number 1 2 3 4 5

Number of dots 3 6

Number of lines 2 7
[2]
b Find an expression, in terms of n, for the number of lines in Pattern n. [2]
c Anwar makes one of these patterns using 92 lines.
Find the number of dots in Anwar’s pattern. [2]
Cambridge O Level Mathematics Syllabus D (4024) Paper 12 Q22, June 2019

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