Inequalities

3 >2 −3
−2≥5 5 ≤3
5
1. What is the least possible value of + 2?
A) 7
B) 10
C) 16
D) 18
4 1
−3 ≤ h + ≤ 1
3 6
2. What is one possible value of 12h – 4?

3. The graph above depicts the system of

inequalities shown. Which of the labeled
section or sections of the graph could
represent all of the solutions of the
system?
A) Sections A and D
B) Section B
C) Sections C and D
D) Section D
6. An architect in an arid region determines
4. A bowling alley charges a flat $6.50 fee for
that a building's current landscaping uses
shoe and ball rental plus $3.75 per game
$1,640 worth of water monthly. The
and 6.325 percent sales tax. If each person
architect plans to replace the current
in a group of seven people has $20 to
landscaping with arid-zone landscaping at a
spend on a bowling outing, and at least
cost of $15,900, which will reduce the
some members of the group must rent
monthly watering cost to $770. Which of the
shoes and a ball, which inequality best
following inequalities can be used to find m,
describes this situation, given that the
the number of months after replacement
number of shoe and ball rentals is
that the savings in water costs will be at
represented by r and the number of games
least as much as the cost of replacing the
is represented by g?
landscaping?
A) 1.06325(6.5r + 3.75g) ≤ 140
A) 15,900 ≥ (1,640 – 770)m
B) 1.06325(6.5r + 3.75g) ≤ 20
B) 15,900 ≥ 770m
56
 6.5 3.75 C) 15,900 ≤ (1,640 – 770)m
) 1.06325 + ≤ 140
D) 15,900 ≤ 770m
E) 0.06325(6.5r + 3.75g) ≤ 20

5. Marco is paid $80 per day plus $15 per hour

for overtime. If he works five days per week
and wants to make a minimum of $520 this
week, what is the fewest number of hours
of overtime he must work?

57
Linear Inequalities

Example:

Which of the following graphs represents the solution set for 5x – 10y > 6?

A)

B)
A)

C)

D)

58
Exercise

4 3. If -5c – 7 ≤ 8, what is the least possible

− − >−
6 3 value of 15c +7?
1. Which of the following is equivalent to the
inequality above? A) -38
A) < B) -4

B) > C)15
D) 22
C) <
1 1
D) > 4
−
16
+3 < 5

1 4. Which of the following is equivalent to the

− (8 − 10 ) > 3 − 2 inequality above?
8
2. Which of the following describes all A) 4a – b < 8
possible values of x? B) 4a – b < 32
C) a - 4b < 32
A) <−
D) 4b – a <4
B) <−
5. If 4c + 20 ≥ 31, what is the least possible
C) < value of 12c + 7?
A) 18
D) >
B) 40

C) 51

D) 58

59
Systems of Inequalities
Example
If 12x – 4y > 8 and 2/3.x + 6y ≥ 14 form a system of inequalities, which of the following graphs
shows the solution set for the system?

A)

B)

C)

D)

60
EXERCISE

a < 6b+4 -y ≤ 6x - 2200

3b < 8 3y ≥ 9x – 1500
6. Which of the following consists of all the a- 8. Given the system of inequalities above, if
values that satisfy the system of inequalities point (a, b) lies within the solution set, what is
above? the minimum possible value of b?
A) a < 20
B) a < 16
C) a < 12
8
D) a <
3

x < 4 - 2y
y ≤ -2x + 1
7. If the system of inequalities y ≤- x+1 and
9. Which of the following ordered pairs
y< x is graphed on the above plane, which satisfies both of the inequalities above?
of the quadrants contain(s) no solutions to
A) (-1,3)
the system?
B) (1,1)
A) Quadrant I
C) (2, -3)
B) Quadrant II
D) (4,4)
C) Quadrant III
D) Quadrants I and II
y > x +r
y<s-x

10. If x = y = 1 is a solution to the system of

inequalities above, which of the following
ordered pairs could correspond to (r, s)?

A) (-1,1)
B) (-1/2, 2)
C) (-1/10,3)
D) (3,-1)

61
 Modeling Real-Life Situations with Inequalities
Example:
To make its sales goals for the month, a toy manufacturer must sell at least $10,400 of toy
hoops and basketballs. Toy hoops sell for $8 and basketballs sell for $25. The company hopes
to sell more than three times as many basketballs as toy hoops. If h represents the number of
toy hoops and b represents the number of basketballs, where h and b are positive integers,
which of the following systems of inequalities best describes this situation?
A) 8h + 25b ≥ 10,400
b ≥ 3h
B) 8h + 25b ≥ 10,400
h ≥ 3b
C) 25h + 8b ≥ 10,400
b ≥ 3h
D) 25h + 8b ≥ 10,400
h ≥ 3b

62
EXERCISE

A) 0.5W + 1c + 2.5t ≥ 200

11. Ariel enters a contest to sell advertisements
in her school's yearbook. To qualify for a prize, W + c + t ≤ 250
she has to sell at least $1,500 worth of
advertisements consisting of no fewer than 15 B) 0.5W + 1c + 2.5t ≤ 200
individual ads. Each full-page ad costs $110, W + c + t ≤ 250
each half-page ad costs $70, and each quarter-
page ad costs $50. Which of the following C) 0.5W + 1c + 2.5t ≥ 200
systems of inequalities represents this
W + c + t ≥ 250
situation, where x is the number of full-page
ads she sells, y is the number of half-page ads D) 0.5W + 1c + 2.5t ≤ 200
she sells, and z is the number of quarter-page
ads she sells? W + c + t ≥ 250
13. Allison is planting a garden with at least
A) 110x + 70y + 50z ≥ 1,500 15 trees. There will be a combination of apple
x + y +z ≤ 15 trees, which cost $120 each, and pear trees,
which cost $145 each. Allison's budget for
B) 110x + 70y + 50z ≤ 1,500 purchasing the trees is no more than $2,050.
x + y +z ≤15 She must plant at least 5 apple trees and at
least 3 pear trees. Which of the following
C) 110x + 70y + 50z ≥ 1,500 systems of inequalities represents the
x + y +z ≥ 15 situation described if x is the number of apple
trees and y is the number of pear trees?
D) 110x + 70 y + 50z ≤1,500
x + y +z ≥ 15 A) 120x + 145y ≥ 2,050
x + y ≤ 15
12. A farmer sells watermelons, cantaloupes, x≥5
and tomatoes from a small cart at a county fair. y≥3
He needs to sell at least $200 of produce each
day. His watermelons are priced at $0.50 per B) 120x + 145y ≥ 2,050
pound, his cantaloupes at $1 per pound, and x + y ≥ 15
his tomatoes at $2.50 per pound. His cart can x≤5
y≤3
hold no more than 250 pounds. Which of the
following inequalities represents this scenario, C) 120x + 145 y ≤ 2,050
if w is the number of pounds of watermelons, c x + y ≥ 15
is the number of pounds of cantaloupes, and t x≤ 5
is the number of pounds of tomatoes? y≤3

D) 120x + 145 y ≤ 2,050

x + y ≥ 15
x≥5
y≥3

63
14. A utility shelf in a warehouse is used to
16. A florist is organizing a sale that offers
store containers of paint and containers of
carnations at a price of $4 for 10 and daisies at a
varnish. Containers of paint weigh 50 pounds
price of $7 for 5. The florist plans to order a
each and containers of varnish weigh 35
maximum of 500 flowers for the sale and wants
pounds each. The shelf can hold up to 32
the revenue from the sale to be at least $400. If x
containers, the combined weight of which
is the number of carnations and y is the number
must not exceed 1,450 pounds. Let x be the
of daisies, and the florist sells all the flowers
number of containers of paint and y be the
ordered, which system of inequalities best
number of containers of varnish. Which of the
describes this situation?
following systems of inequalities represents
this relationship? A) 0.4x + 1.4y ≥ 400
x + y ≤ 500
A) 50x + 35y ≤ 32
x + y ≤ 1,450 B) 0.4x + 1.4y ≤ 400

B) 50x + 35y ≤ 1,450 x + y ≤ 500

x + y ≤ 32 C) 0.4x + 1.4y ≥ 400
C) 85(x + y) ≤ 1,450 x + y ≥ 500
x + y ≤ 32
D) 0.4x + 1.4y ≤ 400
D) 50x + 35 y ≤ 1,450
x + y ≥ 500
x + y ≤85
HINT: For Q15, read carefully. At least is a
minimum, so which way should the
inequality sign point?
15. A bakery is buying flour and sugar from
its supplier. The supplier will deliver no more
than 750 pounds in a shipment. Each bag of
flour weighs 50 pounds and each bag of
sugar weighs 20 pounds. The bakery wants
to buy at least three times as many bags of
sugar as bags of flour. If f represents the
number of bags of flour and s represents the
number of bags of sugar, where fand s are
nonnegative integers, which of the following
systems of inequalities represents this
situation?
A) 50f +60s ≤ 750
f ≤ 3s
B) 50f + 20s ≤ 750
f ≤ 3s
C) 50f + 20s ≤ 750
3f ≤ s
D) 150f + 20s ≤ 750
3f ≤ s

64
 19. A shipping company employee is in charge
of packing cargo containers for shipment. He
knows a certain cargo container can hold a
maximum of 50 microwaves or a maximum of
15 refrigerators. Each microwave takes up 6
cubic feet of space, and each refrigerator
takes up 20 cubic feet. The cargo container
can hold a maximum of 300 cubic feet. The
employee is trying to figure out how to pack a
container containing both microwaves and
17. The figure above shows the solution set refrigerators. Which of the following systems
for this system of inequalities: of inequalities can the employee use to
3 determine how many of each item
< −2
5 (microwaves, m, and refrigerators, r) he can
4 pack into one cargo container?
≤− +5
3
A) m ≤ 6
Which of the following is NOT a solution to r ≥ 20
this system?
50m + 15r ≤ 300
A) (-1,-4)
B) m ≤ 50
B) (1, -1)
r ≤15
C) (4, -1)
m + r ≤ 300
D) (6, -3)
C) m ≤ 50
18. Ezekiel has $5.00 to spend on snacks.
Candy bars cost $0.60 each, gum costs $0.50 r ≤15
per pack, and nuts are priced at $1.29 per 6m + 20r ≤ 300
small bag. If c represents number of candy
D) m ≤ 50
bars, g represents the number of packs of
gum, and n represents the number of bags of r ≤15
nuts, which of the following inequalities 50m + 15r ≤ 300
correctly describes Ezekiel's choices?

A) + + ≤
. . .
B) c + g + n ≤ 5
C) 0.60c + 0.50g + 1.29n ≤ 5.00
D) 0.60c + 0.50g + 1.29n ≥ 5.00

65
 y ≥ -3x +18
y ≥ 9x
22. In the xy plane, the point (a, b) lies in the
solution set of the system of inequalities
above. What is the minimum possible value of
b?
A) 1 ½
B) 3
C) 7 ½

>− −5 D) 13 ½
<2 +3 23. Francine sells advertising time packages
20. The figure above shows the solution for the for a local television station. She is able to
system of inequalities shown. Suppose (a, b) make up to 15 sales calls per week offering
is a solution to the system. If a= 0, what is the potential advertisers either a prime-time
greatest possible integer value of b? package for $12,000 or a non-prime time
package for $8,000. Her weekly sales goal is
to sell more than $20,000 worth of advertising.
Which of the following systems of inequalities
represents this situation in terms of p, the
number of prime time packages Francine sells
in a week, n, the number of non-prime time
packages, and u, the number of unsuccessful
sales calls for which she sells neither offering?
A) p + n + u ≤ 15
12,000 p +8,000n > 20,000
3 +2>5 B) p + n + u ≥ 15
−2 + 8 > −10
12,000p + 8,000n > 20,000
21. Which of the following describes the range
of x? C) p + n + u ≤ 15

A) x >1 12,000 p +8,000(n + u) > 20,000

B) x >9 D) p + n + u ≤ 15

C) -1 < x < 9 12,000p + 8,000n < 20,000

D) 9 >x>1

66
24. Luis has $25 to spend on school supplies. 26. The variable x is a positive integer. If
Pencils (p) cost $1.25 per package, notebooks
3(x – 1) +5 > 11 and -5x + 18 ≥ -12, how many
(n) are priced at $2.50 each, and markers (m)
possible values are there for x?
sell for $4 per pack. He must buy exactly one
calendar/planner for $5.75. Which of the
following describes how many markers Luis
can buy?
1.25 + 2.5 + 5.75
) ≤
25
19.25 − 1.25 − 2.5
) ≤
4
25 − 1.25 − 2.5
) ≤ − 5.75
4
D) m ≤ 19.25 -1.25p -2.5n

25. Let a and b be numbers such that

- a < b + 1 < a. Which of the following must
be true?
I. a > 0
II. | | <a
III. b > a+1
A) I only
B) I and II
C) II only
D) I, II, and III

67
Solving other types of Inequalities

68
69
70
71
PART 2B: Data Analysis

CHAPTER 7: Ratios, Proportions, and Percents.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After this lesson, you will be able to:

 Set up and solve a proportion for a missing value

 Use proportions to perform unit conversions
 Calculate percents and percent change

LESSONS IN THIS CHAPTER

Lesson 7-1 Working with Percent
Lesson 7-2 Ratio and Variation
Lesson 7-3 Rate Problems
Lesson 7-4 Converting Units of Measurement
Lesson 7-5 Linear and Exponential Functions
Lesson 7-6 Graphs and Tables
Lesson 7-7 Scatterplots and Sampling
Lesson 7-8 Summarizing Data Using Statistics

7.1. Working with percent

A. OVERVIEW

Percent means parts out of 100. Simple algebraic equations can be used to help solve a variety
of problems involving percent.
THE THREE TYPES OF PERCENT PROBLEMS
You can solve each of the three basic types of percent problems by writing and solving an
equation.
■ Type 1: Finding a number from percent of a given number.
EXAMPLE
What is 15% of 80?
n= 15% * 80
n= 0.15 * 80 = 12
Hence the number is 12
■ Type 2: Finding a number when a percent of it is given.

72
EXAMPLE
30% of what number is equal 12?
30% * n= 12

n= = 40
.

Hence that number is 40.

■ Type 3: Finding what percent one number is of another.
EXAMPLE
What percent of 30 is 9

× 30 = 9
100
P = 30
B. Finding an Amount after a Percent Change
If a 20% tip is left on a restaurant bill of $80, then to find the total amount of the bill including the
tip, do the following:
STEP 1 Find the amount of the tip: $80 × 0.20 = $16
STEP 2 Add the tip to the bill: $80 + $16 = $96
EXAMPLE
If the length of a rectangle is increased by 30% and its width is increased by 10%, by what
percentage will the area of the rectangle be increased?
(A) 33%
(B) 37%
(C) 40%
(D) 43%
C. Finding an Original Amount after a Percent Change
If you know the number that results after a given number is increased by P%, you can find the
original number by dividing the new amount by the total percentage:
%
Original amount=
% %

Similarly, if you know the number that results after a given number is decreased by P%, you can
find the original number by dividing the new amount by the total percentage:
%
Original amount=
%

73
EXAMPLE
A pair of tennis shoes cost $48.60 including sales tax. If the sales tax rate is 8%, what is the cost
of the tennis shoes before the tax is added?
Solution: The total percentage is 100% + 8% = 108%.

Cost of tennis shoes =

. .
Cost of tennis shoes = = = $45
% .

The tennis shoes cost $45 exclusive tax

D. Finding the Percent of Increase or Decrease
When a quantity goes up or down in value, the percent of change can be calculated by comparing
the amount of the change to the original amount:
ℎ
Percent of change = × 100

EXAMPLE
If the price of an item increases from $70 to $84, what is the percent of increase in price? Solution
The original amount is $70, and the amount of increase is $84 − $70 = $14:
ℎ
Percent of change = × 100

14
Percent of change = × 100
70
1
Percent of change = × 100 = 20%
5
Hence percent of change is 20 %

E. Percent Change
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

After this lesson, you will be able to

• Calculate percent change
Question example:
On a particular day, a power company makes several changes in the power allocated to a
neighborhood. First, it increases the power by 20 percent. Then, it decreases the power by 10
percent. Finally, it increases the power by 30 percent. What is the net percent increase in this
neighborhood's power allocation, to the nearest tenth of a percent? (The percent sign is
understood after your answer. For example, if the answer is 15.1%, grid in 15.1.)

74
You need to do this:
• Calculate the actual increase or decrease
• Divide by the original amount (not the new amount!)
• Multiply by 100%
F. Percents

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

After this lesson you will be able to

 Calculate percents
QUESTION EXAMPLE:
Political canvassers polled voters in two locations on whether they viewed a particular candidate
for governor favorably. At the first location, they asked 125 people and of those, 22.4 percent
responded favorably. At the second location, 37.5 percent of 272 people responded favorably.
Approximately what percent of all the people surveyed responded favorably?
A) 25.7%
B) 30.0%
C) 31.5%
D) 32.7%
You need to do this:
• Plug in the values for any two parts of the formula and solve for the third
• In some calculations, you may find it convenient to express percent as decimals. To do this,
use the formula above but stop before you multiply by 100% at the end.

75
EXERCISE HINT: For Q15, how many gallons of pigment
is the painter starting with? How many gallons
Directions: Take as much time as you need
of pigment are needed for the final mix? How
on these questions. Work carefully and
many gallons of the final paint will it take to
methodically. There will be an opportunity for
provide the needed pigment?
timed practice at the end of the chapter.
15. A painter has 20 gallons of a paint mixture
13. A college athletics program found that
that is 15 percent blue pigment. How many
approximately 3 percent of 308 runners were
gallons of a mixture that is 40 percent blue
injured during workouts and that
pigment would the painter need to add to
approximately 6 percent of 237 weightlifters
achieve a mixture that is 20 percent blue
were injured during workouts. Which of the
pigment?
following is the closest to the total number of
runners and weightlifters who were injured? A) 4
A) 50 B) 5
B) 39 C) 8
D) 12
C) 26
16. On August 1, the price of one share of a
D) 23
company's stock was $75. On September 1,
HINT: For Q14, what percent of the attendees the price of one share was $10 more than it
are teachers? was on August 1 and 80 percent of the price
of one share on October 1. To the nearest
14. At a high school conference, 15 percent
dollar, what was the price of one share on
of the attendees are sophomores, 30 percent
October 1?
are juniors 25 percent are seniors, and the
remaining 18 attendees are teachers, How A) $68
many more juniors are there than seniors? B) $99
C) $102
D) $106

76
EXERCISE HINT: For Q20, if you have 75% more senior
Directions: Take as much time as you need on than juniors, you have all the juniors (100%)
these questions. Work carefully and method- plus 75%, or 175%. Adding the percents at the
ically. There will be an opportunity for timed start saves a calculation step.
practice at the end of the chapter. 20. At a school rally, there are 50 sophomores,
HINT: For Q17, remember to divide by the 80 juniors, and 75 percent more seniors than
original value. juniors. By what percent is the number of
seniors greater than the number of
17. A homeowner's annual property tax sophomores?
payment was $1,494. Due to a property value
A) 80%
reassessment, the tax payment was increased
to $1,572. To the nearest tenth of a percent, B) 140%
by what percent was the homeowner's
C) 150%
property tax payment increased?
A) 0.1% D) 180%
B) 5.0% HINT: For Q21, the final 25% discount is
C) 5.2% applied to an already reduced price. You
D) 7.9% cannot add the percent discounts together.
18. The price of a single share of a certain
21. The original price of a newly released
corporation's stock was $35. Six months later,
smart phone was y dollars. A year later, the
the price of a single share of the corporation's
original price of the phone was discounted by
stock had risen to $49. To the nearest percent,
36 percent. After another six months, an online
what was the percent increase in the price per
retailer was selling the phone at a price that
share?
was 25 percent less than the previously
A) 14%
discounted price. By what percent was the
B) 29%
online retailer's price less than y?
C) 40%
D) 48% A) 27%

HINT: For Q19, how does the wording of the B) 48%

question help you determine which container C) 52%
of coins is the original amount?
D) 61%
19. The number of coins in jar X is 75. The
number of coins in jar Y is 54. By what
percent is the number of coins in jar y less
than the number of coins in jar X?
A) 21%
B) 28%
C) 39%
D) 72%

77
22. Flanders Corporation has 250 full-time and 250 part-time employees. If 92 percent of the
full-time employees qualify for health insurance benefits, and 74 percent of the part-time
employees do not qualify for health insurance benefits, then how many more full-time than part-
time employees at Flanders Corporation qualify for health insurance benefits?
A) 45
B) 90
C) 165
D) 330
Undergraduate Costs at a State University 25. From 1997 to 1998, company T's profits
2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
increased by 25 percent. From 1998 to
1999, company T's profits rose from $375
$12,504 $13,446 $14,118 $14,820 $15.564 $12,192
million to $483 million. By what percent did
23. The table above summarizes the total cost per company T's profits increase from 1997 to
under-graduate student per year at a state 1999?
university for each academic year from 2014-15 A) 38%
to 2019-20.
B) 49%
If fees account for 8.75 percent of one year's
total costs, what is the average fee increase per C) 54%
academic year? Round your answer to the D) 61%
nearest dollar.
26. At a certain store, the price of a
calculator is $ 150, the price of a radio is
$75, and the price of a printer is 16 percent
less than the price of a radio. By what
percent is the price of a printer less than the
price of a calculator?
A) 39%
B) 58%
C) 63%
D) 87%
24. A gardener planted a 20-inch tall sapling in 27. A car that is traveling at a constant
his yard. Four months later, the sapling was 27 speed of 9 miles per hour is traveling at a
inches tall. By what percent did the height of the constant speed of how many feet per
sapling increase over the four months? second? (1 mile = 5,280 feet)
A) 7% A) 1.5
B) 26% B) 6.1
C) 35% C) 13.2
D) 74% D) 79.2

78
 31. A jar contains red, white, and yellow candy
28. In a certain music store, every guitar is
pieces in the ratio of 9:5:4, respectively. When
either a dreadnought or a parlor guitar. The 7 pieces of red candy and 5 pieces of white
ratio of dreadnoughts to parlor guitars in the candy are removed from the jar and 3 pieces
music store is 4 to 15, and there is a total of of yellow candy are added, the ratio of red to
114 guitars in the music store. How many white to yellow becomes 4:2:3. If the jar
guitars in the music store are dreadnoughts? contains only these three colors of candy, how
many pieces were originally in the jar?
A) 24
B) 29
C) 34
D) 46
29. The population of a town was 84,600 on
January 1, 2016, and 74,025 on January 1,
2017. By what percent did the population of
the town decrease from January 1, 2016, to
January 1, 2017?
A) 10.5% 32. Juan's air mattress deflates at a constant
B) 12.5% rate of 100 milliliters per minute. If Juan's air
mattress contains 300 liters of air, how long
C) 14.5% will it take, in hours, for the air mattress to
completely deflate?
D) 17% (Note: there are 1,000 milliliters in 1 liter).
30. The perimeter of regular pentagon P is
half the perimeter of regular hexagon H.
What is the ratio of the length of a side of the
pentagon to a side of the hexagon?
A) 1:2
B) 3:5
C) 5:6
D) 5:3

79
7.2 Ratio and variation

OVERVIEW
A ratio is a comparison by division of two quantities that are measured in the same units. For
example, if Mary is 16 years old and her brother Gary is 8 years old, then Mary is 2 times as old
as Gary. The ratio of Mary’s age to Gary’s age is 2 : 1 (read as “2 to 1”) since
16 2
= =
8 1
One quantity may be related to another quantity so that either the ratio or product of these
quantities always remains the same.

A. RATIO OF a TO b
The ratio of a to b (b ≠ 0) is the fraction , which can be written as a : b (read as “a to b”).

EXAMPLE
The ratio of the number of girls to the number of boys in a certain class is 3 : 5. If there is a total
of 32 students in the class, how many girls are in the class?

Solution: The ratio of girls and boys = =

x= the number of boys in the class

And ℎ ℎ =

Then + = 32

= 20
Hence the number of boys is 20; the number of girls is 12.

B. RATIO OF A TO B TO C
If A : B represents the ratio of A to B and B : C represents the ratio of B to C, then the ratio of A
to C is A : C, provided that B stands for the same number in both ratios.
For example, if the ratio of A to B is 3 : 5 and the ratio of B to C is 5 : 7, then the ratio of A to C
is 3 : 7. In this case, B represents the number 5 in both ratios.

EXAMPLE
If the ratio of A to B is 3 : 5 and the ratio of B to C is 2 : 7, what is the ratio of A to C?
SOLUTION
Change each ratio into an equivalent ratio in which the term that corresponds to B is the same
number:
■ The ratio of A to B is 3 : 5, so the term corresponding to B in this ratio is 5. The ratio of B to C
is 2 : 7, so the term corresponding to B in this ratio is 2.

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■ The least common multiple of 5 and 2 is 10. You need to change each ratio into an equivalent
ratio in which the term corresponding to B is 10.
■ Multiplying each term of the ratio 3 : 5 by 2 gives the equivalent ratio 6 : 10. Multiplying each
term of the ratio 2 : 7 by 5 gives 10 : 35.
■ Since the ratio of A to B is equivalent to 6 : 10 and the ratio of B to C is equivalent to 10 : 35,
the ratio of A to C is 6 : 35.
C. DIRECT VARIATION
If two quantities change in value so that their ratio always remains the same, then one quantity is
said to vary directly with the other. When one quantity varies directly with another quantity, a
change in one causes a change in the other in the same direction—both increase or both
decrease.

EXAMPLE
If y = kx, where k is a constant and y = 27 when x = 18, what is the value of y when x = 30?
SOLUTION
The ordered pairs (18, 27) and (30, y) must satisfy the equation y = kx or, equivalently

The value of y is 45.

EXAMPLE
If 28 pennies weigh 42 grams, what is the weight in grams of 50 pennies?
SOLUTION
The number of pennies and their weight vary directly since multiplying one of the two quantities
of pennies by a constant causes the other to be multiplied by the same constant. If x represents
the weight in grams of 50 pennies, then

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The weight of 50 pennies is 75 grams.
D. INVERSE VARIATION
If two quantities change in opposite directions, so that their product always remains the same,
then one quantity is said to vary inversely with the other.
EXAMPLE
If xy = k, where k is a constant and y = 21 when x = 6, what is the value of y when x = 9?

SOLUTION
The ordered pairs (6, 21) and (9, y) must satisfy the equation xy = k. Since 6 × 21 = k and 9 × y
= k, The value of y is 14.
EXAMPLE
Four workers can build a house in 9 days. How many days would it take 3 workers to build the
same house?
SOLUTION
As the number of people working on the house decreases, the number of days needed to build
the house increases. Since this is an inverse variation, the number of workers times the number
of days needed to build the house stays constant. If d represents the number of days that 3
workers take to build the house, then three people working together would take 12 days to build
the house.
E. DIVIDING A SEGMENT INTO TWO SEGMENTS WITH A GIVEN RATIO

To determine the coordinates of the point P that divides the line segment drawn from point A(xA,
yA) to point B(xB, yB) into two shorter segments such that the ratio of AP to PB is, say r to s:
■ Calculate the difference in the x-coordinates (“run”) and the difference in the y-coordinates
(“rise”) from point A to point B.
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■ Multiply both the run and the rise between the two given points by and then add the results
to the corresponding coordinates of point A:

EXAMPLE
What are the coordinates of the point P in the xy-plane that divides the line segment whose
endpoints are A(-1, 4) and B(4, -6) into two segments such that the ratio of AP to PB is 2 to 3?
(A) (1, 0)
(B) (0, 2)
(C) (0.5, 1)
(D) (2.5, -3)
SOLUTION
■ Between points A and B, the run is 4 - (-1) = 5 and the rise is -6 – 4 = -10.

■ Multiply the run and the rise by = and then add the products to the corresponding
coordinates of point A:

The correct choice is (A).

F. SIMPLE PROBABILITY
To find the probability that some event E will happen, write the ratio of the number of favorable
outcomes to the total number of different outcomes that are possible:

The shorthand notation P(E) is used to represent the probability that event E will happen. If 3
yellow marbles and 2 red marbles are placed in a hat and a marble is picked from the hat without
looking, then

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G. QUESTION EXAMPLE
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
After this lesson, you will be able to
 Set up and solve a proportion for a missing value

The World War Il aircraft carrier Essex was 872 feet long with a beam (width) of 147 feet. A
museum wishes to build an exact replica scale model of the Essex that is 8 feet long.
Approximately how many inches wide will the scale model's beam be? (1 foot = 12 inches)
A 13
B) 16
C) 26
D) 109
• Set up a proportion and solve for the unknown, either by cross-multiplying or by using the
common multiplier
EXERCISE
3. A machine produces 6 defective parts out of
Directions: Take me as much time as you every 3,500 it makes. How many total parts
need on these questions Work and were made during the time the machine
methodically. There will be an opportunity for produced 27 defective parts?
timed practice at the end of the chapter.
A) 14,000
1. Teachers at certain school know that, when B) 15,750
reviewing for exams, the number of topics C) 17,500
they can cover is directly proportional to the
length of time they have to review. If D) 21,000
teachers can cover 9 topics in a single 45- 4. The ratio of freshmen to sophomores in an
minute period, how many topics can they auditorium was 3 to 10. After an additional
cover in a 1-hour period? 270 freshmen and 120 sophomores entered
A) 5 the auditorium, the ratio of freshmen to
B) 7 sophomores was 6 to 5. No other students
C) 10 entered or left the auditorium. How many
D) 12 freshmen were in the auditorium before the
2. Objects weigh less on the Moon because the additional students entered?
Moon's gravitational pull is less than Earth's.
A) 15
In general, 1 pound on Earth is equal to
approximately 0.166 pounds on the Moon. If B) 42
a person weighs 29 pounds on the Moon,
C) 140
approximately how much, in pounds does
the person weigh on Earth? D) 182
A) 21
B) 48
C) 175
D)196

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HINT: For Q5, which conversion will be easier? HINT: For Q7, start with the proportion
Minutes to hours or hours to minutes? = , think about what to substitute
5. Riding her bicycle, Reyna can travel 1 mile for “physicists" and "total."
in 5.5 minutes. If she rides at a constant rate,
7. All of the attendees at a symposium are either
which of the following is closest to the distance
physicists or biologists. If there are 123 physicists
she will travel in 1.5 hours?
and 270 biologists, then how many additional
A) 9 miles physicists must arrive at the symposium in order
B) 11 miles for the ratio of physicists to total attendees to
C) 13 miles become 2 to 5?
D) 16 miles
A) 25
6. If = , which of the following B) 50
proportions is equivalent? C) 57

A) = D) 114

B) =
C) =
D) =

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