03 Direct and inverse proportion
Direct proportion
Two quantities are in direct proportion when they increase (or decrease) together at a constant ratio: x ∝ y ⟹ x = k y, k constant. The graph is a straight line through the origin and its slope is k.
- Cost ∝ number of metres of cloth. If 15 m costs EGP 450, the constant is 30 EGP/m, so 24 m cost 24 × 30 = EGP 720.
- At constant speed, distance ∝ time; at constant width, the area of a rectangle ∝ its length.
Inverse proportion
Two quantities are in inverse proportion when one increases as the other decreases so that their product stays constant: x ∝ 1/y ⟹ x y = k. The graph is a hyperbola.
- For a fixed distance, speed × time = constant. A car covers a distance in 3 h at 80 km/h; at 60 km/h the time = 240/60 = 4 h.
- Work problem: number of workers × number of days = constant for the same job. 12 workers finish in 20 days, so 15 workers finish in 12 × 20 / 15 = 16 days.
Choosing between them
Ask: when one quantity doubles, does the other double (direct) or halve (inverse)? Mixing the two is the most common error in this topic.