Flashcards · Maths · Ratio and Proportion
Direct and Inverse Proportion
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What does direct proportion mean?
As one quantity increases, the other increases at the same rate, so doubling one doubles the other.
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What is the unitary method?
Find the value of one unit, then multiply to find the value of the amount you need.
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5 pens cost \(\pounds 3.50\). What do 8 pens cost?
One pen costs 70p, so 8 pens cost \(\pounds 5.60\).
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What does a direct proportion graph look like?
A straight line through the origin.
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How do you decide the better value between two packs?
Compare the price of the same amount of each, or the amount per penny, and write a conclusion.
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Which is better value: 500 g for \(\pounds 1.20\), or 750 g for \(\pounds 1.65\)?
750 g, at 22p per 100 g compared with 24p per 100 g.
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How do you use an exchange rate of \(\pounds 1 = \$1.25\)?
Multiply by 1.25 to change pounds to dollars, and divide by 1.25 to change dollars to pounds.
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What does inverse proportion mean?
As one quantity increases, the other decreases, and the product of the two stays the same.
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How do you solve an inverse proportion problem?
Find the total (such as workers times days), then divide by the new quantity.
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3 painters take 8 days. How long do 6 take?
The total is 24 painter-days, so 6 painters take 4 days.
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What does an inverse proportion graph look like?
A curve that falls and flattens and never touches the axes.
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How can you test whether a table shows direct proportion?
Divide \(y\) by \(x\) for each pair. If the answer is always the same, it is direct proportion.
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Is a taxi fare of \(\pounds 3\) plus \(\pounds 2\) a mile in direct proportion to distance?
No, because the fixed charge means the graph does not pass through the origin.
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What does \(y \propto x\) mean (Higher tier)?
\(y\) is directly proportional to \(x\), which can be written \(y = kx\) for a constant \(k\).
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What does \(y \propto \dfrac{1}{x}\) mean (Higher tier)?
\(y\) is inversely proportional to \(x\), which can be written \(y = \dfrac{k}{x}\).
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How do you find \(k\) (Higher tier)?
Substitute a known pair of values into the equation, such as \(15 = k \times 3\) giving \(k = 5\).
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If \(y = kx^2\) and \(y = 20\) when \(x = 2\), what is \(y\) when \(x = 3\) (Higher tier)?
\(k = 5\), so \(y = 5 \times 9 = 45\).