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Ratio and Proportion

A ratio is a comparison between two similar quantities.
a) We should always state a ratio in its lowest terms.
b)When finding a ratio, we should always use the same
units so that the units will cancel each other, since a
ratio has no units.
Example 1
Express the ratio 20c to $4 in its simplest form.
$4 = 4 x 100c = 400c
20
400

20:400 =

1
20

Example 2
Express the ratio 4:
4:

1
=
4

1
4

=4x

1
4

in its lowest terms

4
1

16
1

4:

1
4

= 16:1

Example 3
Two lengths are in the ratio 8:5. If the first length is 120
metres, what is the second length?

The second length is =

=

5
8

5
8

of the first length

x 120 = 75 metres.

Example 4
Two amounts of money are in the ratio of 12:7. If the
second amount is $21 what is the first amount?
12
7

x $21 = $36

Exercise
1)Express the ratio 8:3 as a fraction in its lowest term.
2)Express the ratio 30c to $2 as a fraction in its lowest
term.
3)Express the ratio $5 to 80c as a fraction in its lowest
term.
4)Two lengths are in a ratio 7:5. If the first length is
210 metres, what is the second length?

5)Two amounts of money are in the ratio of 8:5. If the

second amount is $120, what is the first amount?
6)Express 3:

1
2

in its lowest terms.

Proportional Parts
Two quantities are said to be in proportion when
corresponding pairs of values are always in the same
ratio.
Example 1
Divide $1100 into two parts in the ratio 7:3

total number of parts = 7 + 3 = 10

Amount of each part =

1100
10

= $110

Amount of first part = 7 x 110 = $770

Amount of second part = 3 x 110 = $330
Exercise
1)Divide $800 in the ratio 5:3
2)A sum of money is divided into two parts in the ratio
5:7. If the smaller amount is $200, find the larger
amount.
3)An alloy consisting of copper, zinc and tin in the
ratios 2:3:5. Find the amount of each metal in 75
kilograms of the alloy.
4)A line is to be divided into three parts in the ratio
2:7:11. If the line is 840 millimetres long, calculate
the length of each part.
5)Two villages have a population of 336 and 240
respectively. The two villages are to share a grant of
$10, 728 in proportion to their populations. Calculate
how much each village receives.

6)Four friends contribute sums of money to a charitable

organization in the ratio of 2:4:5:7. If the largest
amount contributed is $1.40, calculate the total
amount contributed by the four people.

Direct Proportion
Two quantities are said to vary directly, or be in direct
proportion, if they increase or decrease at the same rate.
In solving problems on direct proportion we can use
either the unitary method or the fractional method.
Example 1
If 25 kilograms of butter cost $37.50, how much do 8
kilograms cost?
1)Using the unitary method:
25 kilograms cost $37.50

$ 37.50
25

1 kilogram costs
= $1.50
8 kilograms cost $1.50 x 8 = $12.00
2)Using the fractional method
Cost of 8 kilograms
8
25 x $37.50 = $12.00
Example 2
A recipe for Stew Beef quotes the following amounts to
serve four people: 450 grams of rump steak, 3 tablespoons
flour, 4 tablespoons butter, 50 grams of onion, 75 grams
of mushrooms, 140 grams of sour cream. What amounts
should be used for six people?
The quantities required and the number of people are in
direct proportion. Hence the amounts must be increased
in the ration of 6:4 or 3:2

Amount of rump steak =

Amount of flour =

3
2

3
2

x 450 = 675 grams

x3=4

1
2

tablespoons

Amount of butter =

3
2

x 4 = 6 tablespoons

Amount of onion =

3
2

x 50 = 75 grams

Amount of mushrooms =
Amount of sour cream = 4

3
2
1
2

x 75 = 112

1
2

grams

x 140 = 210 grams

Exercise
1)If 74 exercise books cost $44.40, how much do 53
cost?
2)If 40 articles cost $35.20, how much does 1 article
cost? What is the cost of 55 articles?

3)A car travels 205 kilometres on 20 litres of petrol.

How much petrol is needed for a journey of 340
kilometres?
4)The ingredients for a cake which will serve 12 people
are as follows: 55 grams of butter, 110 grams of
sugar, 6 eggs, 120 grams flour and 3 tablespoons of
milk. what quantities are needed to serve 4 people?
5)A train travels 200 kilometres in 4 hours. How long
will it take to complete a journey of 350 kilometres?

Inverse Proportion

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Example
20 men working in a factory produce 3000 articles in 12
working days. How long will it take 15 men to produce
the 3000 articles?
The number of men is reduced in the ratio
15
20

3
4

The number of days must be increase in the ratio

Number of days required =

4
3

4
3

x 12 = 16 days

Exercise
1)A farmer employs 12 men to harvest his crops. They
take 9 days to do the job. If he had employed 8 men
how long would it have taken them?

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2)10 men produce 500 articles in 5 working days. How

long would it take 15 men to produce the same
amount?
3)Two gear wheels mesh together. One has 40 teeth
and the other has 25 teeth. If the larger wheel makes
100 revolutions per minute how many revolutions per
minute does the smaller wheel make?
4)A bag contains sweets. When divided amongst 8
children each child receives 9 sweets. If the sweets
were divided amongst 12 children, how many sweets
would each receive?
5)4 men can do a piece of work in 30 hours. How
many men would be required to do the work in 6
hours?