GRADE VI

SOLVING WORD PROBLEMS USING INVERSE PROPORTION

Objective: Solve word problems using inverse proportion.

REVIEW

Solve the following problems using direct proportion.

1. The ratio of Anne’s age to her mother is 1:3. If Anne is 10 years old now, how old is
her mother?

2. A narra tree casts a shadow of 9 meters at the time a 2-meter acacia tree casts a
shadow of 6 meters. How tall is the narra tree?

3. If 4 packs of milk cost Php90, how much will 10 packs of milk cost?

4. In a mixture, the ratio of sugar to cocoa is 1:3. If 20 cups of sugar are used, how
many cups of cocoa are used?

5. Seven grams of iron combined with 4 grams of sulfur form iron sulfide. How much
sulfur should be combined with 56 grams of iron to form iron sulfide?
Proportion: ________

STUDY AND LEARN

At this point, you know when two quantities are in direct proportion.

This time, you will explore when two quantities are inversely proportional or indirectly
proportional. A proportion is indirect when an increase in one quantity produces a
corresponding decrease in another quantity or vice-versa. This means a change in one
produces an opposite change in the other.

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Example 1:

If 8 men can finish work in 6 days, how many men can finish the same work
in 4 days?

 If the work is finished by 8 men in 6 days, will the same amount of work be finished
by more or less than 8 men in 4 days?
 If you decrease the number of days to finish the work, there should be a
corresponding increase in the number of men.
 How will you form the proportion of this kind of problem?
 Solution:

To form this proportion, write the number of days as one ratio and the number of men as
the other ratio. Place the higher value of each ratio on the same side of the quantity.
No. of days no. of men

6 : 4 = N : 8 or 4 : 6 = 8 : N
Higher value higher value

4N = 48

48
N=
4
N = 12 so, 12 men are needed to finish the work in 4 days

Note that the higher number in each ratio is on the same side of the quantity.

Example 2:

Twelve boys can consume the food in 5 days, how many days will their food last
if there are only 8 boys?

 12 boys → food will last for 5 days

 8 boys → will the food last for more or less than 5 days?

 Can you write now the proportion?

12:8 = :

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 1
 Is your answer 7 days?
2

 Let’s solve.
12 : 8 = N : 5

8N = 60

60 1
N= = 7 days
8 2

TRY THESE

Write the proportion for each problem and solve.

1. If 12 men can finish a job in 10 days, how long will it take 15 men to do it?

Proportion: ___________

2. Ten mountain climbers brought enough food for 14 days. If 4 more joined them on
the way, for how long will the food last?
Proportion: ___________

3. If 4 men can do a job in 6 days, how many men are needed to do the job in 8 days?
Proportion: ___________

WRAP UP

Remember:

 Two quantities are indirectly or inversely proportional if an

increase in one quantity results in a decrease in the other
quantity or vice versa.

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  To write the inverse or indirect proportion, write the higher
number in each ratio on the same side.

ON YOUR OWN

Evaluate yourself now. Do you think you have already mastered the skill of solving
problems using indirect proportion? Solve the following problems.

1. If 3 farmers can plow a field in 4 days, how long will it take 6 farmers to plow the
same field?

Proportion: ___________

2. Four pumps can fill a tank in 42 minutes. How long can 6 pumps of the same kind
fill the tank?

Proportion: ___________

3. I have enough money to take a vacation for 12 days if I spend Php500 a day. How
many days will my money last if I decided to spend only Php400 a day?

Proportion: ___________

4. A contractor has enough money to pay 8 workers for 15 days. If he adds 8 more
workers, for how many days of work can he pay the workers at the same rate?

Proportion: ___________

5. Five people can clean the whole house in 8 hours. If the owner gets 3 additional
cleaners, how long will it take to clean the whole house?

Proportion: ___________