Proportion problems are word problems where the items in the question are proportional to

each other. In these lessons, we will learn the two main types of proportional problems:
Directly Proportional Problems
The question usually will not tell you that the items are directly proportional. Instead, it will
give you the value of two items which are related and then asks you to figure out what will be
the value of one of the item if the value of the other item changes.
Proportion problems are usually of the form:
If x then y. If x is changed to a then what will be the value of y?
For example,
If two pencils cost $1.50, how many pencils can you buy with $9.00?
The main difficulty with this type of question is to figure out which values to divide andwhich
values to multiply.
The following method is helpful:
Change the word problem into the form:
If x then y. If x is changed to a then what will be the value of y?
which can then be represented as:

For example,
You can think of the sentence:
If two pencils cost $1.50, how many pencils can you buy with $9.00?
as
If $1.50 then two pencils. If $9.00 then how many pencils?
Write the proportional relationship:

Example 1:
Jane ran 100 meters in 15 seconds. How long did she take to run 1 meter?
Step 1: Think of the word problem as:
If 100 then 15. If 1 then how many?
Step 2: Write the proportional relationship:

Answer: She took 0.15 seconds

Example 2:
If
tank?

of a tank can be filled in 2 minutes, how many minutes will it take to fill the whole

Step 1: Think of the word problem as:

If

then 2. If 1 then how many? (Whole tank is

Step 2: Write the proportional relationship:

Answer: It took 3.5 minutes

Example 3:
A car travels 125 miles in 3 hours. How far would it travel in 5 hours?
Step 1: Think of the word problem as:
If 3 then 125. If 5 then how many?
Step 2: Write the proportional relationship:

Answer: He traveled

miles.

Direct proportion
Two quantities are in direct proportion when they increase or decrease in the same ratio.

We want to paint our farm so we need to use the following paint mixture: four green pots and one pot white.

The ratio is 4 pots green to 1 pot white, or 4:1.

If we alse want to paint our neighbour's farm, which it is two times ours, we have to doublethe amount of paint
and increase it in the same ratio.
We double the amount of green paint: 8 pots.
We double the amount of white paint: 2 pots.

The amount of green and white paint we need increase in direct proportion to each other.

Understanding direct proportions can help you to work out the value or amount of quantities either bigger or smaller than
the one about which you have information.
How to solve proportions using the unitary method

If you know the cost of 4 light bulbs is 6.00, can you work out the cost of 3 light bulbs?
To solve this problem we need to know the cost of 1 light bulb.
If four light bulbs cost 6.00, then you divide 6.00 by 4 to find the price of 1 light bulb.
(6 4 = 1.5)
Now you know that they cost 1.50 each, to work out the cost of 3 light bulbs you multiply 1.50 by 3.
(1.5 x 3 =4.5)
So, 3 light bulbs cost 10.00
How to solve proportions using the cross-multiply and divide method.

The cost of 3 pens is 4.5 . Work out the cost of 7 pens.

Partitive Proportion
Divide 1035 in the ratio of 2:3:4.
2. A father wants to leave $4675 to his four children in the ratio of 1:3:3:4. How much will each of the four children
receive?
3. John plans to donate his collection of 3042 books to three libraries in the ratio of 1:3:5. How many books will
each library get?
To get the answer, divide the number representing the total, by the sum of the terms in
the ratio then, multiply the quotient by each of the term in the ratio.
1. 1035 = number representing the total
2, 3 and 4 = terms in the ratio
9 = sum of the terms in the ratio
1035 / 9 = 115
then, multiply 115 by each of the term in the ratio
115 X 2 = 230
115 X 3 = 345
115 X 4 = 460
Final Answer = 230, 345 and 460
To check, add them all
230 + 345 + 460 = 1035

2. $4675 = total amount father wants to leave to the children

1, 3, 3 and 4 = terms in the ratio
11 = sum of the terms in the ratio
$4675 / 11 = $425
so, we need to multiply this by each of the term in the ratio
$425 x 1 = $425
$425 x 3 = $ 1275
$425 x 3 = $ 1275
$425 x 4 = $ 1700
Final Answer = $425, $1275, $1275 and $1700
To check,
$425 + $ 1275 + $ 1275 + $ 1700 = $ 4675
3. 3042 = total number of books
1, 3 and 5 = terms in the ratio
9 = sum of the terms in the ratio
3042 / 9 = 338
when multiplied by each term in the ratio, we get
338 x 1 = 338
338 x 3 = 1014
338 x 5 = 1690
Final Answer = 338, 1014 and 1690
to check
338 + 1014 + 1690 = 3042