ALGEBRA

2.8 Variation
2.8.1 Direct Variation

If two quantities x and y are directly proportional, we write y x.

The symbol reads is directly proportional to or varies directly as.
So y x is simply a short way of writing y is directly proportional to x.
Algebraically, you would write y = kx, where k represents the constant of
proportionality.
When y is graphed against x then k is the gradient of the graph, and the line
passes through the origin.
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Example 1
Two quantities, x and y, are such that y x.
a) Write an algebraic formula for y in terms of x.
b) When x = 4, y = 10. Find the constant of proportionality.
c) Using your formula, work out
(i) the value of y when x = 6 (ii) the value of x when y = 8.
Solution:

Example 2
The weight, W kg, of a spherical garden ornament is directly proportional to the
cube of its diameter, d cm. An ornament of diameter 20 cm weighs 2 kg.
a) Find a formula for W in terms of d.
b) Find the weight of an ornament of diameter 15 cm.
c) Tony struggles to lift an ornament weighing 30 kg. Work out the diameter
of this ornament. Give your answer correct to the nearest centimetre.
Solution

Example 3
The period or time for one complete swing of a pendulum is directly proportional
to the square root of its length. When the length is 25 cm, the period is 1:00
seconds.
a) If the length is 70 cm, find the period to 2 decimal places.
b) What would the length be for a period of 2 seconds?
Solution

EXERCISE A
1 y is directly proportional to x, and y = 21 when x = 7. Find
the value of y when x = 13.
2 y is directly proportional to x, and y = 15 when x = 6. Find x
when y = 40.
3 Each of the tables below shows a set of matching x and y
values, where y is directly proportional to x.
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Find a formula for y in terms of x, and work out the missing values
in each case.
4 y is directly proportional to x, and it is known that y = 10 when x = 15.
a) Obtain an equation for y in terms of x.
b) Use your equation to find the values of:
(i) y, when x=60
(ii) x, when y=25.
5 y is directly proportional to x2, and it is known that y=20 when x=10.
a) Obtain an equation for y in terms of x.
b) Use your equation to find the values of:
(i) y, when x=30
(ii) x, when y=125.
6 y is directly proportional to the square of x, and y=16 when x=2. Find y when
x=3.
7 y is directly proportional to the cube of x, and y=50 when x=5. Find y when
x=8.
8 Dave is working out different ways of travelling round Europe during his
gap year. He is making maps showing the cities he might visit. The time, T
minutes, that it takes Dave to draw a map is directly proportional to the
square of the number of cities, c, he puts on the map. A map with 8 cities
takes 10 minutes to draw.
a)
Find a formula for T in terms of c.
b)
Work out how long it would take to draw a map with 12 cities.
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c)

Dave eventually spent an hour and a half making his map. How many
cities did he decide to include?

9 My computer has a program that can work out the decimal value of to a
large numbers of digits. You can specify the number of digits required. The
time it takes is directly proportional to the square of the number of digits
specified. The computer can work out to 5000 significant figures in exactly
half a second.
a)
Find a formula for the number of digits, n, that the computer can work
out in t seconds.
b)
Use the formula to find out how long it would take to calculate to
one million digits.
c)
How many digits can the computer work out in 10 minutes?
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Square carpet tiles are sold in three sizes small, medium and large.
The cost of a carpet tile is directly proportional to the square of the diagonal
dimension of the tile. Small tiles cost 2.70 each and have a diagonal of
length 15 cm.
a)
A medium tile has diagonal of length 20 cm. Work out its cost.
b)
A large tile costs 10.80. Work out the length of its diagonal
dimension.

2.8.2 Inverse Variation

Consider a rectangle whose area is fixed at 20 cm2. Here are some possible
dimensions for the rectangle:

Notice that, as one dimension goes down in size, the other one increases.
The product of the two dimensions remains constant, that is, xy=20,
where x and y are the length and breadth of the rectangle respectively.
You could also write this as y

20
. This type of relation is called
x

inverse proportion.
You could write y

1
x

More formally, you would write y

k
where k is the
x

constant of proportionality.
Suppose x is the number of painters and y is the number
of days to complete the job. Clearly x must be an integer.
This table shows some of the possible combinations.
They are plotted on the graph alongside.

The shape of the graph is part of a hyperbola.

Now consider the graph of y against

1
x

Notice that the points on this graph form a straight line which passes through the
origin.

Example 4
Two quantities x and y are such that y is inversely proportional to x.
When x=20, y=6.
a) Find a formula connecting x and y.
b) Work out the value of y when x=40.
c) What is the value of x when y is 2?
Solution

Example 5
A scientist has squirted a droplet of oil on to the surface of a container of water. The oil has
formed a circular patch, and is slowly expanding. The thickness of the circular patch of oil is
inversely proportional to the square of its radius.
When the patch has radius 3 cm, its thickness is 60 microns (1 micron = 1x10-6 m). At any time,
the radius is r cm and the thickness is d microns.
a)
b)
c)

Write down a formula connecting d and r.

Find the thickness of the patch when the radius is 6 cm.
The scientist hopes to end up with an oil patch that is exactly 1 micron thick.
What will the radius of the circular patch become if she can achieve this aim?

Solution

EXERCISE B

2.8.3 Graphical representation of direct and inverse proportion

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EXERCISE C

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Prepared by :
Mr Sathya Seelan (010 377 5698)

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