Proportion Notes

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CIE IGCSE Maths: Extended Your notes
Proportion
Contents
Proportion
Page 1 of 8
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Proportion
Your notes
Direct Proportion
What is direct proportion?
Proportion is a way of talking about how two variables are related to each other
Direct proportion means that as one variable goes up the other goes up by the same factor
This means that the ratio between the two amounts will always stay the same
If x and y are directly proportional then
x : y will always be the same
there will be some value of k such that y = kx
their graph is a linear (straight line) graph, with gradient k
Other problems may involve a variable being directly proportional to a function of another
variable
For example
y is directly proportional to the square of x means that y = kx2
y is directly proportional to the square root of x means that y = k√x
y is directly proportional to the cube of x means that y = kx3
Each of these would have a different type of graph, depending on the function
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How do we deal with direct proportion questions?

Direct proportion questions can be dealt with in the same way Your notes
STEP 1
Identify the two variables and set up the formula in terms of those variables
For example if A is directly proportional to B, then the two variables are A and B
If A is directly proportional to B use the formula A = kB
If A is directly proportional to the square of B use the formula A = kB2
STEP 2
Find k by substituting the values given in the question into your formula and solving
STEP 3
Write the formula for A in terms of B by substituting in your value of k
STEP 4
Use the formula to find the required quantity
Exam Tip
Even if the question doesn’t ask for a formula it is always worth working one out and using it in all
but the simplest cases
Page 3 of 8
Worked example
Your notes
y is directly proportional to the square of x.
When x = 3, y = 18.
Find the value of y when x = 4.
Identify the two variables
We are told this is DIRECT proportion
We can now find k using y = 18 when x = 3
We can now write the full formula/equation in x and y
Use this formula to find y when x = 4
Page 4 of 8
Inverse Proportion
What is inverse proportion? Your notes
Inverse proportion means as one variable goes up the other goes down by the same factor
If two quantities are inversely proportional, then we can say that one is directly proportional to
the reciprocal of the other
If x is inversely proportional to y, then
1
x: will always be the same
y
k
there will be some value of k such that x =
y
k
the graph will be related to that graph of y =
x
How do we deal with inverse proportion questions?

Inverse proportion questions can be dealt with in a similar way to direct proportion questions
STEP 1
Identify the two variables and set up a formula in terms of those variables
For example if A is inversely proportional to B, then the two variables are A and B
Page 5 of 8
k
If A is inverse proportional to B use the formula A =
B Your notes
k
If A is directly proportional to the square of B use the formula A =
B2
STEP 2
Find k by substituting the values given in the question into your formula and solving
STEP 3
Write the formula for A in terms of B by substituting in your value of k
STEP 4
Use the formula to find the required quantity
Page 6 of 8
Worked example
Your notes
The time, t hours, it takes to complete a project varies inversely proportional to the number of people
working on it, n .
If 4 people work on the project it takes 70 hours to complete.
(a) Write an equation connecting t and n .
Identify the two variables
We are told this is INVERSE proportion
We can now find k using and (given in words in the question)
We can now write the full formula/equation in and
(b) Given that the project needs to be completed within 18 hours, find the minimum number of
people needed to work on it.
Use the formula to find when
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Your notes
A sensible answer would be a whole number (as it is a number of people)

16 people is the minimum number of workers required to finish the project in 18 hours
Page 8 of 8

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CIE IGCSE Maths: Extended Your notes

How do we deal with direct proportion questions?

We are told this is DIRECT proportion

We can now find k using y = 18 when x = 3

We can now write the full formula/equation in x and y

Use this formula to find y when x = 4

How do we deal with inverse proportion questions?

Identify the two variables

We are told this is INVERSE proportion

We can now find k using and (given in words in the question)

We can now write the full formula/equation in and

Use the formula to find when

A sensible answer would be a whole number (as it is a number of people)

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