10 Number

Ratios and
rates

Ratios and rates are used in many everyday situations to compare things. Ratios are
used when mixing fertiliser, mixing cordial, using maps or reading house plans.
Rates are used when calculating the price of petrol or mobile phone bills, calculating
the cost of placing a classified advertisement and when calculating speed.
In this chapter you will:
■ write and simplify ratios in various forms
■ solve problems involving ratios
■ divide a quantity in a given ratio
■ apply the unitary method to ratio problems
■ interpret scales on maps and plans
■ calculate rates from given information
■ solve problems involving rates
■ calculate speed given distance and time
■ draw and interpret travel graphs, recognising concepts such as change of
speed and change of direction
convert rates from one set of units to another.

Wordbank
■ ratio An arrangement of numbers that compares two or more quantities
of the same type.
■ unitary method A method of finding a part of a quantity when given
another part.
■ scale The relationship between a scaled drawing, map or plan and the
actual object it represents.
■ actual Real.
■ scaled As shown on a drawing, map or plan, usually much smaller but in
proportion to what it represents.
■ rate A measurement comparing quantities of different types, expressed
using two units.
■ speed A rate that compares distance travelled with time taken.

Think!
Three friends combined to finance their new company. Jo invested $8000,
Cathy invested $5000 and Rania invested $7000. After two years, their
company made a profit of $30 000. How should the profit be shared among
the three friends?

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 271 CHAPTER 10

 Start up
1 Copy and complete:
Worksheet a 3m= cm b 2h= min
10-01 c 2000 kg = t d 1.5 L = mL
Brainstarters 10
e 360 cm = m f 18 g = mg
g 300 s = min h 6.5 cm = mm
Skillsheet i 480 min = h j 7500 mL = L
10-01 k 8.15 km = m l 850 mm = cm
Simplifying m 16 kg = g n 45 min = h
fractions
2 Find the highest common factor of each of the following pairs of numbers:
a 12 and 18 b 48 and 36 c 20 and 64
Skillsheet d 50 and 25 e 35 and 21 f 16 and 40
1-01
3 Find the lowest common multiple of each of the following pairs of numbers:
Factors and
divisibility a 2 and 3 b 4 and 8 c 5 and 3
d 6 and 4 e 8 and 10 f 12 and 9
4 Calculate:
Skillsheet
4-01 a 3
---
5
× 10 b 2
---
3
× 15 c 3
---
4
× 12 d 6× 1
---
3
Multiplying by
10, 100, 1000 e 21 × 2
---
7
f 8× 1
---
2
g 5
---
6
× 12 h 1
---
4
× 20

5 Calculate:
a 0.2 × 10 b 1.7 × 10 c 0.95 × 100
d 4.05 × 100 e 0.4 × 10 f 1.9 × 100
g 2.125 × 1000 h 6.21 × 1000 i 4.7 × 100

Introducing ratios
A ratio compares quantities that are of the same type, measured in the same units.

Mixing ingredients
Ratio 1 : 1 : 1.25

Reading house plans

Reading maps Scale ratio 1 : 100
Scale ratio 1 : 20 000
272 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8
We use a ratio when making a drink by mixing cordial and water.
Nina likes her drink to have a strong flavour, Jerry prefers a weaker flavour, so he
so she uses 1 part of cordial to 3 parts of water. uses 1 part of cordial to 5 parts of water.

1:3 1:5
1 part cordial to 3 parts water 1 part cordial to 5 parts water

Ratio of cordial to water in Nina’s drink is 1 : 3. Ratio of cordial to water is 1 : 5.

A ratio can be used to compare the parts of a thing, regardless of the total amount.
Nina makes enough drink for a party For a picnic, Nina makes the same
by using 1 bucket of cordial to 3 buckets concentration (strength of flavour) of cordial
of water. by using 1 cup of cordial to 3 cups of water.

Water

Cordial Water

Cordial Ratio 1 : 3

The ratio of cordial to water in the drink for the party

and the drink for the picnic is the same, even though
Ratio 1 : 3
the amounts are different.

Ratios can be written in different ways:

a cordial to water as 1 to 3 (in words)
b cordial : water as 1 : 3 (using a colon ‘:’)
cordial 1
c ---------------- as --- (as a fraction)
water 3
The order in which we write a ratio is very important. Writing the ratio of cordial to water
as 3 : 1 would mean 3 parts of cordial to 1 part of water. This would taste very strong!
Of course, we should say that the ratio of cordial to water is 1 : 3 (that is 1 part of cordial
to 3 parts of water).

A ratio compares quantities of the same type given in the same units.

Note: • a ratio has no units

• a ratio does not tell us ‘how much’ there is.

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 273 CHAPTER 10

Example 1
For the box of chocolates shown below, find these ratios:
a light chocolates to dark chocolates b round chocolates to square chocolates
c chocolates in white paper to chocolates in brown paper

Solution
a There are 5 light chocolates and 7 dark chocolates. So the ratio of light chocolates to
dark chocolates is 5 : 7.
b There are 7 round chocolates and 4 square chocolates. So the ratio of round chocolates to
square chocolates is 7 : 4.
c There are 5 chocolates in white paper and 7 chocolates in brown paper. So the ratio of
chocolates in white paper to chocolates in brown paper is 5 : 7.

Example 2
Express each of the following quantities as a ratio.
a a mass of 30 kg to a mass of 80 kg b a distance of 37 cm to a distance of 1 metre
Solution
a A mass of 30 kg to a mass of 80 kg.
Since the quantities are measured in the same units (kg) the ratio is simply 30 : 80,
or 3 : 8.
b A distance of 37 cm to a distance of 1 metre.
The quantities are measured in different units so we must change all measurements to
the same units before calculating the ratio. Because we usually use the smaller unit,
we must change 1 metre to 100 centimetres. The ratio becomes 37 to 100, or 37 : 100.

274 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

Exercise 10-01
1 Find the ratio of shaded to unshaded parts for each of the following diagrams: Example 1

a b c

e f

2 For each diagram in Question 1, find the ratio of unshaded parts to the total number
of parts.
3 a George likes to make a drink with a ratio of 1 part cordial to 4 parts
water (or 1 : 4). Draw a diagram to show this ratio in a glass.
b His father prefers to drink a weaker flavour with a ratio of 1 : 5.
Show this on a diagram.
c One day George’s father gave him a drink mixed with the ratio
shown in the diagram. Estimate the ratio of cordial to water used.

4 Over the last 50 years the ratio of teachers to students in classrooms has improved.
In the 1950s the ratio was sometimes as much as 1 : 45, in the 1970s the ratio was often
1 : 35 and, in the 1980s, the ratio was set at 1 : 30 for most classes. Now, in some classes,
it is 1 : 24 or even 1 : 20.
What does it mean to say that this ratio has improved? For whom has it improved?
5 In your classroom, find the ratio of:
a teachers to students b females to males
c chairs to tables d students to chairs
6 In a classroom of 25 students, Mary found that 12 students had green eyes, 8 had blue
eyes, 4 had brown eyes, and 1 had hazel eyes.
Find the following ratios of student eye colours:
a hazel to green b brown to hazel
c blue to brown d brown to green

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 275 CHAPTER 10

 7 Out of every 100 people at the football, 60 were men, 25 were women, and the rest were
children. Find the following ratios:
a men to women b women to the total
c children to men d women to children
8 Three classes were surveyed to find the ratio of students who wrote left-handed to those
who wrote right-handed. In class A the ratio was 1 : 5, in class B the ratio was 2 : 3, and in
class C the ratio was 1 : 6.
If each class had between 21 and 26 students, which class had the most left-handed
students?
Example 2 9 Express each of these pairs of quantities as a ratio:
a 13 g to 25 g b $17 to $100
c 5 litres to 12 litres d 150 km to 1 km
e 16 goals to 3 goals f 100 m to 1000 m
g 20 players to 15 players h 48 cars to 36 cars
i 51 kg to 12 kg j 120 points to 180 points
10 Change the quantities to the same units first, then express each pair of quantities as a ratio:
a 3 cents to $2.50 b 25 mm to 3 cm
c 60 minutes to 3 hours d 10 years to 36 months
e 14 days to 5 weeks f $3 to 500 cents
g 50 cm to 2 m h 600 mL to 2 L
i 0.5 km to 150 m j 2.5 kg to 750 g
11 Change the quantities in each of the following statements into a ratio.
a For each teacher there were 25 students.
b To cook steamed rice you need 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of boiling water.
c Adventure cycling activities with schools require one teacher for every 4 students.
d There are 11 girls for every 9 boys in this school.
e No matter how much they won on Lotto, they agreed to share the prize equally.
f She was twice as tall as he was.

Equivalent ratios
Equivalent ratios are just equal ratios. For instance, we know that 2 : 4 = 1 : 2. But there are
many others, such as 3 : 6 = 1 : 2, and 4 : 8 = 1 : 2. Notice that finding equivalent ratios is similar
to finding equivalent fractions.
A good example for illustrating equivalent ratios is the number of students in a class. Suppose
there must be a ratio of 1 teacher to 25 students in each class. From this simple ratio we can
make many equivalent ratios:
• 1 teacher : 25 students, or 1 : 25
• 2 teachers : 50 students, or 2 : 50
• 3 teachers : 75 students, or 3 : 75
• 4 teachers : 100 students, or 4 : 100, etc.
Using this ratio, how many teachers should there be if there are 200 students in Year 8?

276 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

Example 3
1 Find the missing values to make each ratio equivalent to 2 : 3.
2:3
__ : 6
6 : __
__ : 12
10 : __
__ : 9

Solution
Work out the number that the original ratio is being multiplied by each time and multiply
both parts of the ratio by the same number.
2 : 3 2:3
×2

: 6 4:6
×3

×4

6 : 6:9
⇒
×5

: 12 8 : 12
× 30

10 : 10 : 15
: 90 60 : 90
2 Find the missing values to make each of the following ratios equivalent to 40 : 30.
40 : 30
__ : 15
8 : __
__ : 3

Solution
Work out the number that the original ratio is being divided by each time and divide both
parts of the ratio by the same number.
40 : 30 40 : 30
÷2

: 15 20 : 15
⇒
÷5

÷ 10

8 : 8:6
: 3 4:3

Exercise 10-02
1 Copy and complete the following sets of equivalent ratios: Example 3
a 1:3 b 5:2 c 4:7 d 3:5
2:6 10 : 4 8 : 14 : 10
Spreadsheet
3: 15 : 12 : 12 : 10-01
: 15 : 10 : 49 21 : Equivalent
10 : 40 : 40 : : 60 ratios
: 45 : 24 : 700 : 100

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 277 CHAPTER 10

 e 24 : 12 f 48 : 64 g 90 : 60 h 28 : 42
12 : : 32 45 : : 21
:4 12 : : 20 4:
6: :8 18 : :3
:2 3: : 10
2: 9:

2 Write three equivalent ratios for each of the following.

a 2:5 b 4:9 c 6:5 d 12 : 7
e 5:1 f 1:4 g 5:2 h 7:2
i 32 : 48 j 54 : 18 k 12 : 42 l 24 : 8

3 Copy and complete the following pairs of equivalent ratios.

a 2:3 = 8: b 1:5 = 2: c 3:5 = : 15
d 4:7 = : 35 e 5 : 8 = 20 : f 7 : 12 = 49 :
g 5 : 11 = : 66 h 3:4 = : 100 i 2 : 1 = 10 :
j : 9 = 20 : 36 k 12 : = 3:1 l 17 : 34 = :2
m : 45 = 6 : 9 n 24 : 12 = 4 : o 16 : = 2:5
p : 20 = 15 : 60 q 24 : 20 = 6 : r 50 : 40 = : 20
s 2:3:4 = 6: : t 3:4:5 = : 20 : u 2
---
3
= ------
9

v 7
---
8
= 21
------ w 7
------
20
= ---------
100
x 5
---
3
= 25
------

Simplifying ratios
Ratios are usually simplified by dividing by a common factor. To find the simplest ratio, divide
Skillsheet by the highest common factor (HCF).
10-01
We can simplify 12 : 8 by dividing both parts of the ratio by 2 (because 2 divides evenly into
Simplifying
fractions 12 and 8).
12 : 8 = 12
------
2
: 8--2- = 6 : 4
However, this is not the simplest ratio. We can simplify again by dividing both parts by 2 again.
6:4 = 6
---
2
: 4--2- = 3 : 2.
So 12 : 8 simplifies to 3 : 2.
We can simplify 12 : 8 in one step if we divide both parts by 4, which is the highest common
factor of 12 and 8.
12 : 8 = 12
------
4
: 8--4- = 3 : 2
When asked to simplify a ratio, we find the simplest possible form.

Example 4
Simplify each of the following:
a 5 : 10 b 24 : 16 c 12 : 20 : 16

278 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

Solution
a 5 : 10 = 5
---
5
: 10
------
5
Highest common factor is 5
= 1:2
On the calculator: 5 a b/c 10 =

b 24 : 16 = 24
------
8
: 16
------
8
Highest common factor is 8
= 3:2
On the calculator: 24 a b/c 16 = d/c
( SHIFT

2nd F
a b/c
)
c 12 : 20 : 16 = 12
------
4
: 204
16
------ : ------
4
Highest common factor is 4
= 3:5: 4
The calculator cannot be used here.

Example 5
Simplify the ratio of 2 hours to 1 day.
Solution
First, change the values to the same units:
2 hours to 1 day = 2 hours to 24 hours
= 2 : 24
= 2--2- : 24
------
2
= 1 : 12

Exercise 10-03
Example 4
1 Simplify each of the following ratios.
a 10 : 100 b 12 : 24 c 12 : 30 d 35 : 49
e 18 : 12 f 56 : 24 g 1000 : 100 h 45 : 99 SkillBuilder
5-01
i 87 : 87 j 123 : 321 k 51 : 17 l 3 : 48
Ratio and
m 38 : 14 n 120 : 65 o 16 : 56 p 42 : 105 variation
2 Simplify each of the following ratios.
Spreadsheet
a 8 : 12 : 20 b 15 : 20 : 30 c 27 : 9 : 36 d 4 : 8 : 24 : 12 10-02
e 12 : 18 : 24 f 120 : 72 : 48 g 32 : 48 : 36 h 14 : 35 : 21 : 49 Simplifying
ratios
3 Change the quantities to the same units first, then express each pair of quantities as a ratio Example 5
in simplest form:
a 50 cm to 2 metres b 300 g to 1.2 kg
c 5 days to 7 weeks d 30 min to 2 hours
e 70 cents to $2.10 f 2 years to 6 months
g 15 hours to 2 days h 20 mm to 1 metre
i 4 tonnes to 350 kg j 25 min to 3 hours
k 18 m to 1 km l 8 months to 4 years
m 2 days to 8 hours n 75 cents to $5

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 279 CHAPTER 10

4 Mary was asked to find the ratio of white lollies to red lollies in a packet. If there were
8 white lollies and 10 red lollies, express this as a ratio in simplest form.

5 A common way of comparing countries is to use statistics with the same base number.
For instance, when comparing the rate of infant mortality (the number of deaths of
infants) the base number is 1000.
• In the year 2000 the rate of infant mortality in Australia was 6 per 1000 live births
(a ratio of 6 : 1000).
• In Pakistan the rate was 74 per 1000 live births, or 74 : 1000.
Express each of these ratios in simplest form.

6 At a book sale, the following books were sold in a morning:

• 48 crime novels • 20 science fiction stories
• 35 non-fiction books • 28 romance novels
Express each of the following as a ratio in simplest form:
a crime to romance b sci-fi to non-fiction
c non-fiction to romance d sci-fi to crime
e sci-fi to romance to non-fiction f crime to all the rest

Ratios with fractions and decimals

Sometimes the quantities in ratios involve fractions or decimals. These ratios can also be
simplified by making them into ratios involving whole numbers.

Example 6
3
Simplify ---
5
: 1--3- .
Solution
Multiply both parts of the ratio by a common multiple, preferably the lowest common
multiple (LCM) of the denominators.
LCM of 5 and 3 is 15.
3
---
5
: 1--3- = --- × 15 : ---
3
5
1
3
× 15
= 45 15
------ : ------
5 3
= 9:5

Example 7
Simplify 0.7 : 0.05.
Solution
Multiply by the appropriate power of ten. In this case, we multiply by 100 (we need to move
the decimal point two places).
0.7 : 0.05 = 0.7 × 100 : 0.05 × 100
= 70 : 5
= 14 : 1

280 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

Exercise 10-04
1 Simplify each of these ratios: Example 6

1
a ---
3
: 2--5- b 1
---
4
: 1--3- c 3
---
4
: 2--3- d 1
---
2
: 3--8- e 2
---
5
3
: -----
10
-

4
f ---
5
: 1--2- g 5
---
8
: 1--4- h 2
---
3
: 1--2- i 3
---
4
7
: -----
16
- j 4
---
5
: 1--2-
5
k ---
6
: 2--5- l 6
---
5
: 2--3- m 1
---
2
: 1--3- : 1--4- n 2
---
5
: 3--4- : -----
10
7
- o 1
---
6
: 3--5- : 2--3-

2 Simplify each of these ratios:

a 2 1--2- : 4 b 20 : 1--2- c 6 : 1 1--2-

d 1 1--2- : 3--4- e 5
---
8
: 1 3--4- f 1 2--3- : 2 1--6-

g 1 1--2- : 2 1--3- h 2 2--3- : 1 1--4- i 1 1--3- : 4--5-

3 Simplify each of these ratios: Example 7

a 0.4 : 0.7 b 1.3 : 0.8 c 0.5 : 0.3

d 0.9 : 1.8 e 0.6 : 0.8 f 3.6 : 2.4
g 0.05 : 0.2 h 0.25 : 0.5 i 3.2 : 0.16
j 0.375 : 0.25 k 0.005 : 0.5 l 1.08 : 8.1
m 12 : 8.4 n 6.3 : 7 o 15 : 1.05
p 1 : 0.2 : 0.03 q 2.4 : 1.2 : 3.6 r 4.5 : 1 : 0.9

Applying ratios
There are many applications of ratio in the modern world.
Worksheet
10-02
Exercise 10-05
Ratio recipes
1 Designing rooms.
Here is a bedroom design.
The ratio of the design to the
real bedroom is 1 : 50.
This means that 1 cm on the
design equals 50 cm in the
real room.
a By measuring the diagram,
find:
i the width of the real room
(in centimetres).
ii the length of the real room
(in centimetres).

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 281 CHAPTER 10

 b Calculate:
i the perimeter of the real room, in metres.
ii the area of the real room, in square metres.
c By measurement find:
i the length of the real bed ii the width of the real desk
iii the width of the door to the real bedroom iv the length of the real window
2 Making cordial.
To mix a cordial drink 375 mL of cordial concentrate is topped up with water to make 2 L
of ready-to-drink cordial. Find:
a the amount of water used to make the cordial
b the ratio of cordial to water, in its simplest form.
3 Enlarging letters.
On dot paper or grid
paper, draw these letters
of the alphabet and then
enlarge each letter using
the given ratio.

Ratio 1 : 3

Ratio 1 : 4

4 Comparing lengths.
Write the lengths of
these items.
Find the ratio of the
following pairs of
lengths and simplify
them if possible:
a the ruler to the pencil
b the ruler to the paperclip
c the pencil to the paperclip
d the eraser to the pencil
e the shoe to the pencil

5 Gradient on roads.
Road signs are used to tell car drivers,
truck drivers and bicyclists how steep
the roads are. They show the steepness
of a hill by writing it as a ratio.
Rise
For example, Bulli Pass is 1 : 6 and
Mt Victoria pass is 1 : 8. Run

282 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

 The gradient for a road is the ratio of the
rise to the run of the hill. For instance, 1 Rise
5
the ratio 1 : 5 means a rise of 1 metre for Run
every 5 metres running along the horizontal. Gradient of 1 : 5
Find the gradient for each of the following hills.
a b
1 1

5 6
c d
1 1

4 3

e
1

10
f
1

Just for the record

Screen ratios
A normal (analogue) television screen has its 1
length and width in the ratio 4 : 3 (approximately
1.33 : 1). This is called its aspect ratio. 2
The ratio means that the screen is 4 units across
and 3 units up (a ‘squarish’-looking screen). 3 4:3
(1.33 : 1)
1 1 2 3 4
2
3
4 Cinema screens and widescreen
5 digital television sets, however,
6 have an aspect ratio of 16 : 9
7 (approximately 1.77 : 1), giving
8 16 : 9 a wider picture. Some major films
(1.77 : 1) are presented in a wide-screen
9
format of 1.85 : 1 or 2.35 : 1.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
When films and digital TV programs are shown on a 4 : television set, the picture needs to
be ‘squeezed’ somehow, using a ‘pan-and-scan’ (full frame) format or a ‘letterbox’ format.
Some DVD players allow you to choose the way you view the picture.

Find out how the ‘pan-and-scan’ and ‘letterbox’ formats work.

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 283 CH AP T E R 10
 Dividing quantities in a given ratio
Example 8
1 Elyse and Damian buy a $1.00 raffle ticket, each paying 50 cents, and win first prize of
Worksheet $50. How much should each person get if they share the winnings equally?
10-02
Ratio recipes Solution
They each put in 50 cents, so will share the prize equally, or in the ratio 1 : 1.
The number of equal parts is 2 (or 1 + 1, described as 1 : 1).
Worksheet
10-03 The first share = 1
---
2
of $50
Ratio problems
= $25
The second share will be the same, $25. (Check your answer: $25 + $25 = $50.)

2 Suppose that Elyse contributes 20 cents to the $1.00 raffle ticket and Damian contributes
80 cents. How much should each person get this time?
Solution
The amount each person takes from the prize depends on the ratio of their contribution to
the cost of the ticket. The ratio was 20 : 80 = 1 : 4 since one person put in four times the
amount of the other. The number of equal parts is 5 (or 1 + 4, described as 1 : 4).
The first share = 1
---
5
of $50
= $10
The second share = 4
---
5
of $50
= $40
(Check your answer: $10 + $40 = $50.)

3 Suppose Jane shares in buying the raffle ticket with Elyse and Damian. Elyse, Damian
and Jane contribute 20 cents, 20 cents, and 60 cents respectively. How much does each
get from a prize of $200?
Solution
Step 1: State the three contributions as a ratio.
They put in 20 : 20 : 60 = 2 : 2 : 6
= 1:1:3
Step 2: Find the number of equal parts.
This is 5, since 1 + 1 + 3 = 5.
Step 3: Work out how much each friend should get of the prize.
Elyse’s share = 1
---
5
of $200
= $40
Damian’s share = 1
---
5
of $200
= $40
Jane’s share = 3
---
5
of $200
= $120
(Check your answer: $40 + $40 + $120 = $200.)

284 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

 To divide a quantity in a given ratio:
• find the total number of parts
• find the fraction of the amount for each share of the ratio
• check that your answers add to the original amount.

Example 9
Divide $400 in the ratio 3 : 5.
Solution
Total parts = 3 + 5 = 8
3
---
8
× 400 = $150
5
---
8
× 400 = $250
Check: $150 + $250 = $400

Exercise 10-06
1 Find the total number of parts if:
a the ratio is 2 : 7 b the ratio is 4 : 1 c the ratio is 3 : 4
d the ratio is 7 : 4 e the ratio is 2 : 5 : 6 f the ratio is 1 : 2 : 3
2 Divide $500 in the ratio: Example 9
a 4:1 b 2:3 c 7:3
d 1:9 e 5:5 f 3:1
Spreadsheet
3 Divide 450 kg in the ratio: 10-03
a 4:5 b 3:2 c 2:7
Dividing
d 1:4 e 9:1 f 2:1 quantities in a
4 Divide 720 cm in the ratio: given ratio
a 1:3:5 b 2:4:3 c 5:3:4
d 3:4:1 e 1:2:3 f 11 : 7 : 6
5 Two friends share a prize of $90 in the ratio of 1 : 2. How much prize money does each Example 8
receive?
6 Three friends find a large bag of lollies. They agree to share their discovery equally. SkillBuilder
There are 51 lollies in the bag. How many lollies does each friend get? 5-02
7 Three friends, Adam, Janelle and Derek, buy a Lotto ticket for $12. They contribute $3, Dividing a
$3 and $6 respectively and agree to share any prizes in the same ratio. How much prize given ratio
money does each person get if they win $4000?
8 Share a $40 prize in the ratio 2 : 3.
9 Share a bag of 70 lollies in the ratio 1 : 1.
10 Share a $30 000 prize in the ratio 1 : 2.
11 Share a $1200 prize in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3.
12 Divide a piece of cheese of mass 1000 g into two pieces according to the ratio 1 : 4.
13 Share 34 pens in the ratio 9 : 8.

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 285 CHAPTER 10

 14 Divide 48 kg in the ratio 3 : 5.
15 Two friends share a prize of $200 in the ratio of 3 : 2. How much more prize money does
one friend receive than the other?
16 In Year 8, the ratio of boys to girls is 4 : 5. If there are 225 students in Year 8, find how
many girls there are.
17 The ratio of girls to boys in Year 12 is 3 : 2. If there are 125 students in Year 12, find how
many more girls there are than boys.
18 Adam needs to make 800 g of short-crust pastry. Flour and butter are needed in the ratio
3 : 1. How much flour is needed?
19 A company posts 1386 letters in a week. The ratio of local to overseas letters is 2 : 7.
How many overseas letters are sent in a week?
20 A truck carries fruit and vegetable boxes in the ratio 5 : 7. If it carries a total of 7.5 tonnes,
what mass of vegetables does it carry?
21 A quantity of 176 kg of an alloy is made from copper and zinc in the ratio 5 : 6.
Find the mass of copper in the quantity of the alloy.
22 A 20 m cable is cut into three sections in the ratio 2 : 3 : 5. Find the length of each section.
23 When making mortar you mix sand and concrete in the ratio 6 : 1. You need 280 kg of
mortar. How much sand will you need?
24 A farmer planted 700 hectares of land with wheat, oats and corn in the ratio 1--6- : 3--4- : -----
12
1
-.
Find the area of land planted with each crop.

Ratios and the unitary method

The unitary method will help us solve different types of ratio problems. The unitary method
Worksheet was applied to percentages at the end of Chapter 4. In the following problems you know one
10-02
part of the ratio but not the total amount.
Ratio recipes
Example 10
In an English class the ratio of boys to girls is 5 : 6. If there are 15 boys in the class,
Worksheet how many girls are there?
4-11
The unitary Solution
method boys : girls = 5 : 6
= 15 : ?
boys = 5 parts = 15
So 1 part = 15 ÷ 5
=3
girls = 6 parts
=6×3
= 18 girls So there are 18 girls in the class.

Exercise 10-07
1 Why is the method in Example 10 called the ‘unitary’ method?

286 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

2 a Two lengths of timber are in the ratio 4 : 7. The longer length is 56 cm. Example 10
What is the shorter length?
b In a rectangle, the ratio of the width to the length is 5 : 12. The length is 48 cm.
Spreadsheet
Find the width.
10-04
c In a school, the ratio of teachers to students is 1 : 18. If the college has 80 staff,
Ratios and
how many students are there? the unitary
d A tiler uses 4 green tiles to every 3 white ones. How many tiles are used altogether if method
140 green tiles are used?
e When making concrete, sand and cement are mixed in the ratio 4 : 1. If 120 kg of
cement has been delivered, what mass of sand is needed?
f The speed of two boats is in the ratio 7 : 4. The speed of the second boat is 10 km/h.
Find the speed of the first boat.
g An alloy contains copper and iron in the ratio 2 : 5. A quantity of alloy contains 20 kg
of iron. What mass of copper does it contain?
h Ali, Betty and Fiona share an amount of money in the ratio 10 : 8 : 7. If Betty received
$72, how much did the others receive?
i In a triangle, the lengths of the sides are in the ratio 3 : 4 : 5. If the longest side is 30 cm
long, find the lengths of the other sides.
3 a The masses of two packets of detergent are in the ratio 3 : 10.
i If the smaller packet has a mass of 1.5 kg, what is the mass of the larger one?
ii If the larger packet costs $12.50 and the smaller packet costs $3.90, which packet
is the cheaper per kilogram and by how much?
b Enzo’s Produce Store buys fruit and vegetables in the ratio 5 : 7. The mass of the fruit
is 8.5 tonnes. What is the total mass of produce ordered?
c Simon and Joshua’s heights are in the ratio 8 : 9. If Joshua is 1.71 m tall, how tall is
Simon?
d In order to make up glue, the contents of two tubes, A and B, are mixed in the ratio 3 : 1.
i If 15 mL of A is used, how much of B is needed?
ii How much glue is made altogether if 15 mL of A is used.
e A bushwalking rope is cut in the ratio 3 : 4. The longer piece is 116 m. What was the
original length of the rope?
f The heights of two buildings are in the ratio 7 : 6. If the small building is 160 m tall,
how tall is the other building?
g The directors of Centuryworld share its yearly profits in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3.
The Managing Director, who received the greatest share, received $9 144 000.
What was the profit for the year?
h A triangle has sides in the ratio 2 : 5 : 4. If the shortest side is 18 cm, find:
i the lengths of the other two sides
ii the perimeter of the triangle.
i Chemicals X, Y and Z are mixed in the ratio 3 : 7 : 10. If 5 mL of X is used, how much
of each of the other chemicals will be used?

Scale drawings
One very important application of ratio is the use of scale drawings for maps and house Worksheet
10-04
plans. When compared, the lengths on each map or drawing are in the same ratio as the lengths
Scale
in the real world. This ratio allows us to measure real distances by using the map or diagram. drawings
R AT I OS AND R AT E S 287 CHAPTER 10
 Example 11
Here is a scale drawing of a clock.
The scale shows the ratio of the drawing
to its real size. Measure the length of the XII
XI I
clock, and then work out its actual length. II
X
Solution
IX III
The scaled length of the clock is 5 cm. Scale 1 : 6
1 part = 5 cm VIII IV
Actual length = 6 parts
VII V
=5×6 VI
= 30 cm
The actual length of the clock is 30 cm.

Example 12
This is a scale drawing of a small screw.
Find its actual length.
Solution Scale 5 : 1
The length of the drawn screw is measured at 40 mm.
The scale of 5 : 1 means that the real screw is smaller than the one drawn.
5 parts = 40 mm
Actual length = 1 part
= 40 ÷ 5
= 8 mm
The actual length of the screw is 8 mm.

Exercise 10-08
Example 11 1 Measure the length of each scaled-down image below, and then use the scale ratio to work
out the actual length of the object shown.
a Fish 1 : 3 b House
1 :100

Length
Length

d Tennis racquet
c Pen 1:4 1 : 20
h
gt

Le
n
Le

ng
th

288 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

2 The plans of a house are drawn to a scale of 1 : 100. Find the actual length for each of the
following measurements on the plan in:
i centimetres ii metres.
a length of the lounge room, 4 cm b length of the kitchen bench, 2 cm
c width of the door, 0.9 cm d width of the garage, 2.75 cm
e length of the side wall, 17 cm f width of the window, 1.2 cm

3 This house plan is drawn to a scale of 1 : 100.

WC
Laundry
Second
Bedroom

Bath

Main
Bedroom

Kitchen

Hall

Lounge
Dining

Scale 1 : 100

a Find the dimensions (length × width) of the following rooms, in metres.

(Measure the distances from the inside walls.)
i the main bedroom ii the lounge room iii the bathroom
iv the second bedroom v the kitchen
b Find the area (in square metres) of:
i the main bedroom ii the lounge room iii the kitchen

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 289 CHAPTER 10

 Example 12 4 Measure the length of each magnified image below, and then use the scale ratio to work
out the actual length of the object shown.
a Flea 100 : 1 b Microchip 3 : 1

Le
ng

Le
t
h
ng
th

c Nut 4:3 d Bacterium 100 : 1

Length
th
ng
Le

Worksheet Map scales

10-05
Map of Example 13
Adelaide
Write this scale as a ratio: km
0 2 4 6 8 10
Solution
The length of the segment from 0 to 10 on the diagram is 5 cm. So, 5 cm on the map
represents 10 km of actual distance.
To write the scale in the useful form 1 : actual measure we must convert to the same units
and simplify:
5 cm : 10 km (measured and read from the diagram)
5 cm : 10 × (1000 × 100) cm (convert each measure to the same units)
5 cm : 1 000 000 cm
1 : 200 000 (simplifying the ratio)
The scale is 1 : 200 000.

Example 14
A map has a scale of 1 : 25 000.
a What is the actual distance if the scaled distance is 4 cm?
b What is the scaled distance if the actual distance is 3.5 km?

290 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

Solution
a Scale 1 : 25 000
Actual distance = 4 × 25 000 cm
= 100 000 cm
= 1000 m (dividing 100 000 by 100)
= 1 km (dividing 1000 by 1000)
b 3.5 km = 3500 m (multiplying 3.5 by 1000)
= 350 000 cm (multiplying 3500 by 100)
Scaled distance = 350 000 cm ÷ 25 000
= 140 cm

Multiply by scale

Scaled distance Actual distance

Divide by scale

Exercise 10-09
1 For each map scale given as a diagram in parts a to f below, write the scale in the form Example 13
1 : actual measure.
a metres b kilometres
0 100 200 300 0 1 2 3 4 5
c 0 500 1000 1500
metres

d 0 1 2 3
km
e 0 1 2 3 4
km

f 0 150 300 450 600 750

metres

2 A bushwalking map has a scale of 1 : 25 000. Find: Example 14

a the actual distance for each of the following scaled distances.
i 2 cm ii 3 cm iii 6 cm iv 5.5 cm v 9.5 cm vi 2.75 cm
b the scaled distance for the following actual distances.
i 10 km ii 2.5 km iii 5 km iv 4 km v 7 km vi 0.5 km
3 On a map using a scale of 1 : 10 000 000, the Nile (the world’s longest river) would be
the length of an average shoe lace (about 66.7 cm). How many kilometres long is the
Nile River?
4 The town of Gilgandra is 66 km north of Dubbo. A map uses a scale of 1 : 100 000.
How long would the scaled distance be between the two locations?
5 Lord Howe Island is 2.8 km wide. How long would its scaled width on a map be if a scale
of 1 : 50 000 was used?

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 291 CHAPTER 10

6 Below is a map of Nambucca Heads using a scale of 1 : 40 000.

1
N
Cemetery
NAMBUCCA
Water 2
Towers STATE
NAMBUCCA
FOREST

ET
RE

OCEAN
HEADS Catholic Church 3

ST
Police Anglican Church Coronation
Stn Park
4

PACIFIC
PO
ST
PIG
WE

GO
TT
ST
5

SOUTH
Foreshore
Caravan Park Rotary 6
Lookout
Causeway Shelley
Beach Lookout
Lagoon 7
Island Golf
Course

8
A B C D E F G H I J
a Find the direct distance between:
i the Water Towers (C2) and the Catholic Church (F3)
ii the Anglican Church (G4) and Coronation Park (I4)
iii Rotary Lookout (H6) and Shelley Beach Lookout (J6)
b Find the length of: i West Street (E4) ii Piggott Street (D5)
c How long is the lagoon (I7)?
d What are the dimensions of the cemetery (J2)?
e How long is the causeway leading to the Island Golf Course (B7)?
f To train for the ‘City to Surf’ run you decide to run 8 km three times a week.
What distance will this be on the map? Outline a possible course for your training run,
starting and finishing at the Foreshore Caravan Park (D6).

Working mathematically
Applying strategies: Scale drawings
1 Measure the length and width of any large rectangle (for example a paved area,
a brick wall, a blackboard, the classroom floor).
On graph paper make a scale drawing of your rectangle. Include the scale used on
your drawing and list the real measurements made.
2 Choose one of the following activities.
a Measure the length and width of the school reception area or foyer. Suppose there
are plans to enlarge the length and width of this area by 50 per cent. Draw a scaled
plan of the enlarged area, showing the location and size of key features. Include a
list of your measurements, and the scale used.

292 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

 b Draw a scale plan of your maths classroom. Remember to measure the location of
immovable objects such as windows, doors, and blackboards. Other useful
measurements are the length and width of the room and, possibly, the diagonal
distance across the room. Include a list of your measurements, and the scale used.
c Draw a scale plan of your bedroom. Remember to measure the location of
immovable objects such as windows and doors. Other useful measurements are the
length and width of the room and, possibly, the diagonal distance across the room.
Include a list of your measurements, and the scale used.

Skillbank 10
Comparing fractions, decimals and percentages
To compare or order fractions, we express them with a common denominator first.
To compare or order decimals, we express them with the same number of decimal SkillTest
10-01
places first.
Comparing
1 Examine these examples. fractions,
4
a Which fraction is smaller: ------
10
or 3--8- ? decimals and
percentages
Using a common denominator of 80 or Using a common denominator of 40
(8 × 10). (the LCM of 10 and 8).
4 4×8 32 4 4×4 16
------ = --------------- = ------ ------ = --------------- = ------
10 10 × 8 80 10 10 × 4 40
3 3 × 10 30 3 3×5 15
--- = --------------- = ------ --- = ------------ = ------
8 8 × 10 80 8 8×5 40
By comparing numerators: 30 80
32
------ < ------
80
By comparing numerators: 15 16
------ < ------
40 40
∴ 3
---
8
is smaller. ∴ 3
---
8
is smaller.

b Write these decimals in ascending order: 0.407, 0.47, 0.047, 0.4.

Express all decimals with three decimal places by inserting zeros at the end where
necessary.
0.407 0.47 0.047 0.4
become: 0.407 0.470 0.047 0.400
In ascending order (smallest to largest), this is 0.047, 0.400, 0.407, 0.470, or:
0.047, 0.4, 0.407, 0.47
2 Now find the smaller value in each pair:
2 3 1 1
a ---
3
and ---
5
b ---
4
and ---
3
c 0.15 and 0.105
3 4 5 7
d 3.826 and 3.68 e ---
7
and ------
10
f ---
6
and ---
8
1 2
g 2.87 and 2.817 h 0.5301 and 0.503 i ---
5
and ---
9
3 Write the numbers in each of these sets in ascending order.
a 0.81, 0.082, 0.821 b 3.5, 3.51, 3.55, 3.513
2 1 2
c --- , --- , ---
3 6 5
d 0.007, 0.07, 0.7, 0.707
3 2 1
e 10.49, 10.409, 10.4, 10.04 f --- ,
8
------ ,
10
---
2
1 4 3
g 0.345, 0.045, 0.5, 0.43 h --- ,
4
------ ,
10
---
5

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 293 CHAPTER 10

 To compare fractions with decimals or percentages, or to order fractions, decimals and
percentages, express them all as decimals first.
4 Examine this example.
13
Place these amounts in descending order: 68%, ------ ,
20
0.6̇ , 3--5- .
As decimals, 68% = 0.68, 13
------
20
= 0.65, 0.6̇ = 0.666…, 3
---
5
= 0.6.
In descending order (largest to smallest), this is 0.68, 0.666 …, 0.65, 0.6, or:
13 3
68%, 0.6̇ , ------ , --- .
20 5
5 Write the numbers in each of these sets in ascending order.
a 0.25, 1--6- , 16%, 1
---
5
b 27%, 1--3- , 0.4, 0.28 c 0.05, 50%, 6%, 1
---
8
3 2
d --- ,
4
0.639, 55%, ---
5
e 69%, 0.609, 2--3- , 0.6 f 2
--- ,
9
0.105, 17%, 22.5%

Rates
Unlike a ratio, a rate compares quantities of different types that are measured in different units.
For instance, speed compares the distance travelled and the time taken.
A speed of 60 kilometres per hour means that 60 kilometres are covered each hour.
A mobile phone call may be charged at $1.30 per minute, petrol may cost 95.5c per litre, and
$1 Australian may be equal to 56c US. All of these are rates.
There is a special way of writing rates:
• A speed of 60 kilometres per hour is written as 60 km/h.
• A call rate of $1.30 per minute is written as $1.30/min
We normally express a rate ‘per single unit’ (per means ‘for each’).

Example 15
Write each of these as a rate:
a a factory produces 80 cars in 4 hours b a ham costing $40 has a mass of 8 kg.
Solution
a 80 cars in 4 hours = 80 ÷ 4 b $40 for 8 kg = 40 ÷ 8
= 20 cars/h = $5/kg

Exercise 10-10
1 Here are some rates. Write the units used in each:
a typing speed b heartbeat rate
c phone charges d cost of meat
e wages f cost of petrol
g cricket run rate h population growth
i population density j fuel consumption
Example 15 2 Write each of the following as a rate:
a 20 sheep in 1 hour b 9.8 metres in 1 second
c $4.50 for 1 kg d 25 students for each teacher
e 100 metres in 5 seconds f 136 points in 4 games
g 160 marks in 4 tests h 32 articles in 4 hours

294 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

 i 180 cars in 2 days j 4800 boxes in 8 hours
k 259 metres in 7 seconds l 46 000 bottles in 50 hours
m 9000 revolutions in 6 minutes n $175 for 5 hours
o 400 km in 8 hours p $16.50 for 6 kg
q 36 runs in 8 overs r 240 km using 30 litres
s $126 for 12 hours t 5000 kg for 100 hectares
3 In your own words, explain what is meant by each of these rates:
a a speed of 100 km/h b a traffic survey of 150 cars/h
c petrol consumption of 10.3 L/100 km d a factory producing 600 bottles/day
e a freight rate of 45c/kg f a farmer keeping 60 sheep/hectare
g 240 passengers/flight h a factory manufacturing 920 toys/day
i a pump supplying 230 L/hour

Using rates Worksheet

10-06
Example 16 Rates
1 A river is flowing at a speed of 6 kilometres per hour. problems
How far would a log on the river travel in 3 hours?
Solution
The rate is 6 km/h.
Each hour the log would travel 6 kilometres.
In 3 hours it travel 6 × 3 = 18 kilometres.
2 A soft drink manufacturer makes aluminium cans at the rate of 150 cans/min.
a How long would it take to produce 1000 cans?
b How many cans are produced in an 8-hour shift at the factory?
Solution
a The factory produces 150 cans in 1 minute.
1000
1000 cans take ------------
150
minutes = 6 2--3- minutes
= 6 minutes and 40 seconds
b The factory produces 150 cans per minute.
Number of cans in 1 hour = 150 × 60
= 9000
Number of cans in 8 hours = 9000 × 8
= 72 000 cans

Note that rate problems are solved by either multiplying or dividing.

One simple rule for deciding whether to multiply or to divide is to examine the position of the
required quantity in the rate, written in the form x/y.
• To find the first quantity x, you multiply.
• To find the second quantity y, you divide.
Example 16, Question 2, used the rate cans/min.
• To find the number of cans (in part b), you multiply.
• To find the time in minutes (in part a), you divide.

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 295 CHAPTER 10

 Exercise 10-11
Example 16 1 Ben types 55 words per minute. How many words can he type in 20 minutes?
2 Maria is paid $12.50 per hour. How much will she earn if she works 38 hours in a week?
3 A footballer scores at a rate of 8 points per game. How many points will he score in
12 games?
4 A Concorde aircraft travels at 900 km/h. How far will it travel in 20 minutes?
5 Sue runs 100 metres in 12 seconds. How far will she run in one minute at the same rate?
6 A tap drips water at a rate of 15 mL/hr. How much water would be wasted in one week?
7 A farmer can graze 15 sheep per hectare. If he has 65 hectares set aside for sheep, how
many sheep can he graze?
8 Mia cycles at 12 km per hour for 4 hours. How far does she travel?
9 An aeroplane can carry a total of 450 passengers per flight. How many flights will it take
to carry 2700 passengers?
10 A flywheel rotates at a rate of 1200 revolutions per minute. How many revolutions does it
make in 20 seconds?
11 A wheel is timed to make two revolutions per second.
a How many revolutions does it make in 15 seconds?
b How many revolutions does it make in 5.5 seconds?
c How long does it take to make 80 revolutions?
12 The temperature in Mittagong at 7:00am is 8°C. If the temperature rises at a rate of
3°C/h, find:
a the temperature at 10:00am
b the temperature at 2:00pm
c the time at which the temperature will be 23°C.
13 Petrol costs 95 c/L. If Robert had $20 in his pocket, how much petrol could he buy
(correct to the nearest litre)?
14 The Wong family needs to buy new carpet for the family home. The carpet costs $125/m
and the carpet layers charge $480 to lay it. How much will it cost to carpet the house if
the Wongs need 28 metres of carpet?
15 A farmer uses fertiliser at a rate of 30 kg/ha. How many hectares can she cover if she has
145 kg of fertiliser?
16 In an experiment, the temperature rose at the rate of 5°/s. How long would a scientist need
to wait for the temperature to rise by 35° if it continued rising at the same rate?
17 Zac has 504 cows in a 42 hectare paddock.
a How many cows per hectare does he have?
b How many cows could he keep in a 40 hectare paddock?
c How many hectares would he need to keep 840 cows?

296 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

18 Jane is filling the tank shown on the right from a pipe
which supplies water at the rate of 1.25 litres per second.
How long will it take to fill the tank: 6750 L
a in seconds? b in minutes? c in hours?
19 Two brothers, David and Bobby, take turns mowing a
rectangular lawn, 60 m long and 40 m wide.
a Find the area of the lawn.
b When David cuts the grass, he does it in one hour using an old lawn mower.
How many square metres of lawn does he cut in one minute?
c Bobby uses a newer lawn mower and it takes him 40 minutes when he mows the lawn.
How many square metres of lawn does he cut in one minute?
d If both brothers start mowing at the same time, how long will it take them to mow the
lawn together.
20 Kim and Sonya went on holiday. They filled their car with petrol when the reading on the
odometer was 0 3 4 5 6 8 .
Next time they filled the car, the odometer reading was 0 3 5 2 1 8 .
On this second filling, petrol cost 95 cents per litre and they needed to pay $47.50.
How many km/L had the car done between the first filling and the second filling.

Speed (a special rate)

Imagine you are travelling in a car on a highway with the speedometer measuring your
speed at 100 km per hour. What does this mean? Worksheet
10-07
It means that, at this speed, you will travel a distance of 100 km in 1 hour. If you maintain
What’s my
this speed, after 2 hours you will have travelled 200 km, after 3 hours you will have travelled speed?
300 km … and so on.
Average speed is calculated by dividing the distance travelled by the time taken.

distance travelled
Average speed = ------------------------------------------
time taken

Example 17
Find the average speed for each of the following:
a A car which travels 270 km in 3 hours. b A train which travels 80 km in 20 minutes.
Solution
a Using the formula:
distance travelled
Speed = ------------------------------------------
time taken
270
= ---------
3
= 90 km per hour (or 90 km/h)

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 297 CHAPTER 10

 b Speed is usually in kilometres per hour, so we need to write 20 minutes as a fraction of
an hour:
20
------
60
= 1
---
3
h
distance travelled
Speed = ------------------------------------------
time taken
80
= -----
1
-
---
3
= 80 × 3
= 240 km/h

Exercise 10-12
Example 17 1 Find the average speed for each of the following:
a A car travels a distance of 600 km in 6 hours.
b A horse rider travels a distance of 15 km in 3 hours.
c A jet travels 2400 km in 5 hours.
d A bushwalker walks 25 km in 5 hours.
e A cyclist rides 85 km in 5 hours.
f A jet travels 2100 km in 3 hours.
g An athlete runs 10 000 m in 0.5 hours.
h A walker travels 35 km in 8.75 hours.
i A motorbike travels 250 km in 2.5 hours.
j A car travels 280 km in 3.5 hours.
2 Find the speed for each of the following (either in km/h or m/s) to the nearest whole
number.
a A racing cyclist pedals 100 km in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
b A car travels 450 km in 4 hours and 45 minutes.
c A truck travels 390 km in 3 hours and 15 minutes.
d A bushwalker travels 15 km in 4 hours and 30 minutes.
e A car travels 90 km in 45 minutes.
f A motorbike on the race track travels 250 km in 1 hour and 15 minutes.
g A kangaroo travels 1.5 km in 15 minutes.
h A boat travels 15 km in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
i An athlete runs 200 m in 20 seconds.
j Another athlete runs 800 m in 2 minutes.
3 Jack and Jill walk to school. The distance is 3000 metres and it usually takes about
30 minutes. Find their (average) speed in:
a metres per minute b kilometres per hour.
4 Peter walked to school in 15 minutes. He estimated that the distance was about
1500 metres. Find his speed in:
a metres per minute b kilometres per hour.
5 A bird flies 348 m in 6 seconds. Find its speed in metres per second.
6 Mrs Hassam lives 20 kilometres from the nearest railway station and it takes her
30 minutes to drive there in her car. Find her average speed in kilometres per hour.

298 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

 7 Find the distance travelled for each of the following:
a A car travels for 8 hours at an average speed of 90 km/h.
b A car travels for 3 hours at an average speed of 100 km/h.
c A cyclist travels for 2 hours at an average speed of 39 km/h.
d A bushwalker travels for 7 hours and 30 minutes at an average speed of 4 km/h.
e A runner travels for 2 hours and 30 minutes at an average speed of 12 km/h.
f A truck travels for 14 hours at an average speed of 95 km/h.

8 Majid can walk at a speed of 6 km/h. How far can he walk in 30 minutes?

9 A bus travels at 75 km/h for 5 hours, and then travels a further distance of 200 km over
4 hours. Find the average speed for the whole journey.

10 A car travels for 3 hours at 60 km/h and then travels a further distance of 100 km at
50 km/h. What is the average speed for the trip?

11 How long does it take a go-cart to travel 60 kilometres around a circuit at a speed of
40 km/h.

12 We normally measure the speed of an object in km/h or m/s. However, there are other
ways of measuring speed such as the knot and the mach.
Find what these special terms mean and where they are used.

Travel graphs
Travel graphs also compare distance and time. The slope or steepness of the graph
indicates speed. Worksheet
10-08
Jane’s diary
Example 18
This graph shows Janet’s cycling trip. Janet’s cycling trip
a At what time did Janet leave home?
b When was Janet’s first stop?
70
How far from home was she?
c Find her average speed over the 60
first two hours.
Distance from home (km)

d How far from home is Janet when 50

she decides to return home?
e How far does she travel altogether? 40
f Find her average speed during her
30
trip home.
g For how long did Janet stop 20
altogether in the day?
10

0
9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00
am am am noon pm pm pm pm
Time

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 299 CHAPTER 10

Solution
a 9:00am
b Each stop is indicated by a horizontal section of the graph (time passes but no distance is
travelled). Janet’s first stop is at 11:00am, when she is 40 km from home.
distance
c Average speed = -------------------
time
40 km
= -----------------
2 hours
= 20 km/h
Janet’s average speed over the first two hours is 20 km/h.
d The point where Janet heads for home is when the graph changes direction.
She is 65 km from home when she decides to return (at 1:30pm).
e 65 + 65 = 130 km
Janet travels 130 km altogether.
65 km
f Average speed = -------------------- -
2 1--2- hours
= 26 km/h
Janet’s average speed during her trip home was 26 km/h.
g 1
---
2
h + 1 h = 1 1--2- h
Janet stopped for a total of 1 1--2- hours.

On a travel graph:
• a horizontal (flat) line indicates a stop
• the steeper the slope of the graph, the greater the speed
• the part of the graph going downwards indicates a change of direction or a return trip.

Example 19
Draw a travel graph to represent the following walking trip:
Adam leaves camp at 8:00am and walks at an average speed of 4 km/h for 2 hours.
He stops for 1--2- an hour for a snack and to enjoy the view. He walks a further 11 km in
the next 2 1--2- hours to meet his friends. Adam’s travel graph
Solution
Summarise the data.
20
Depart: 8:00am
Distance from home (km)

By 10:00am: He has walked 2 × 4 = 8 km 16

from home
12
10:00 to 10:30am: He stops
10:30am to 1:00pm: He walks a further 11 km 8
∴ At 1:00pm he is 8 + 11 = 19 km from home.
4

0
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00
am am am am noon pm
Time

300 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

Exercise 10-13
1 Thorald walks to visit his friend Emil. Example 18
Thorald’s walk
This graph shows his journey.

Distance from home (km)

a How long did it take Thorald to walk
8
to Emil’s house? How far was it from
his own house? 6
b Find his average speed for the entire
walk. 4
c How far does Thorald walk altogether?
d Between what times does Thorald stop 2
on his walk?
0
10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00
am am noon pm noon pm pm
Time

2 Merrill drives from Sydney to Canberra, Merrill’s trip

Distance from home (km)
stopping to visit friends in Goulburn.
a How far is Canberra from Sydney? 300
b How long does the trip take?
c How long does Merrill stop at Goulburn? 200
d Find her average speed for the journey
(excluding stops). 100
e How far is it from Goulburn to Canberra?
0
8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
am am am am noon
Time

3 This graph shows a A cycling trip

cyclist’s day trip.
a At what times did the
28
speed of the cyclist
change? 24
Distance from home (km)

b At what time did the

cyclist start to return 20
home?
c How far did the cyclist 16
travel altogether on
12
this day?
d How long did the 8
cyclist spend
‘on the road’? 4
e Find the cyclist’s
average speed for 0
10:00 am 11:00 am 12:00 noon 1:00 pm 2:00 pm 3:00 pm
the day. Time
f Find the cyclist’s
average speed for each of these four stages:
i 10:00am to 11:00am ii 11:00am to 12:15pm
iii 12:45pm to 2:00pm iv 2:00pm to 3:00pm

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 301 CHAPTER 10

 4 Brian and Sam travel Brian and Sam’s journeys
between Bligh and
Macquarie.
Bligh 240
a How far is it Bri
an

Distance from Macquarie (km)

between the 200
two towns?
b At what time do 160
Brian and Sam
pass each other? 120
How far are they
80
from Macquarie?

m
c Who has the

Sa
40
faster means of
transport, Brian Macquarie 0
or Sam? 8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:00 noon 1:00pm
d At what times is Time
Sam stationary (not moving)?
e Find the average speed of each person (excluding stops).

5 On the same graph, show the distance travelled by each of the following in 2 hours:
a a person walking at 4 km/h
b a cyclist travelling at 18 km/h
c a car travelling at 60 km/h

Example 19 6 A triathlete has the following training program for cycling and running:
• Start 5:00am
• Run 12 km in 2 hours
• Rest 1--2- hour
• Run a further 8 km in the next hour
• Rest 1--2- hour
• Pick up bike and cycle home, arriving at 10:00am.
Draw the graph of this training session.

7 Judy and Keith decide to go to Melbourne on holiday. The following is a description of

their drive from Sydney to Melbourne. Draw a graph of this information.
• Depart from Sydney: 6:00am
• Stop at Goulburn (193 km) at 8:00am.
Breakfast 45 minutes.
• Stop at Gundagai (190 km) at 11:00am.
Morning tea/petrol 1--2- hour.
• Stop at Albury (183 km) at 1:30pm.
Lunch 1 hour.
• Stop at Seymour (204 km) at 4:15pm.
Snack/Petrol 15 minutes.
• Arrive in Melbourne 103 km at 6:00pm.

302 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

Converting units
It is often useful to be able to change rates from one set of units to a different set. For example,
to change kilometres/hour to metres/second, or to change litres/day to litres/second.

Example 20
Change $300/week to $/year.
Solution
$300/week = $300 × 52/year (52 weeks in 1 year)
= $15 600/year

Example 21
1 Change 10 m/s into km/h.
Solution
10 m/s = 10 × 60 m/min (60 seconds in 1 minute)
= 600 m/min
= 600 × 60 m/h (60 minutes in 1 hour)
= 36 000 m/h
36 000
= ----------------- km/h (1000 m in 1 kilometre)
1000
= 36 km/h
2 Change 2 mL/minute to litres/day.
Solution
2 mL/minute = 2 × 60 mL/h (60 minutes in 1 hour)
= 120 mL/h
= 120 × 24 mL/day (24 hours in 1 day)
= 2880 mL/day
2880
= ------------ L/day (1000 mL in 1 L)
1000
= 2.88 L/day
3 Change 30 km/h into m/s.
Solution
30 km/h = 30 × 1000 m/h (1000 metres in 1 kilometre)
= 30 000 m/h
30 000
= ----------------- m/min (60 minutes in 1 hour)
60
= 500 m/min
500
= --------- m/s (60 seconds in 1 minute)
60
= 8 1--3- m/s

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 303 CHAPTER 10

 Exercise 10-14
Example 20 1 Convert:
a 5 m/s to m/h b 30 m/s to m/h c $10/kg to $/g
d 20 mL/min to mL/h e 40 mL/minute to mL/h f 5 mL/s to mL/h
g 5 kg/m2 to kg/ha h 2.5 tonnes/day to kg/day i $750/week to $/year
j 0.5 km/min to km/h k 15 sheep/h to sheep/day l $60/day to $/week
Example 21 2 Change:
a 5 m/s to km/h b 35 cm/s to m/h c 10 cents/g to $/kg
CAS d 40 mL/min to L/h e 40 L/minute to mL/s f 5 mL/s to L/day
10-01 g 25 g/m2 to kg/ha h 2.5 tonnes/h to kg/day i 110 km/h to m/s
Rate j 5 kg/m to g/cm k 8 km/L to m/mL l 70c/min to $/h
conversions
3 Each speed below is given in metres per second. Change each speed into kilometres per
hour. (Round your answers to two decimal places.)
a An African cheetah was measured running at 27 m/s.
b A German peregrine falcon dived at 97 m/s.
c A Tanzanian snake can travel at a speed of 3.3 m/s.
d A sailfish off the coast of Florida was estimated to swim 30 m/s.
e A racing cyclist rode at 23 m/s.

Power plus
1 Write each of the scales below as a ratio in its simplest form:
Source map or plan Scale

Great Britain road atlas

0 10 20 30 40 km
Devon and Cornwall map
0 10 km
Paris street map
0 400 m
Ontario (Canada) road atlas 0 10 20 miles

0 10 20 30 km

Australian road atlas

0 20 40 60 80 km

2 Australia’s annual birth rate in 1995 was approximately 15 per 1000.

Give that the 1995 population was 18 054 000, how many babies were born in 1995?
3 Singapore has a population of 2 733 000.
The population density of Singapore is 4224 inhabitants/km2.
a What is the area of this very crowded country?
b Australia’s population density is 2.35 inhabitants/km2. The area of Australia is
7 682 300 km2. If Australia were populated as densely as Singapore, what would the
population be?

304 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

4 A spider moves at 1 cm/s. If the spider is in the back left-hand corner of your classroom,
find how long (in minutes) it will take to reach:
a the nearest person b you c the blackboard d the door of the classroom
5 By writing each price as a rate (cents/kg, cents/g, cents/mL, etc), find out which item is
the best value for money each time: 2L 375 mL × 6
a b
750 g

375 g

$0.99 $1.99

$2.25 $2.99
735 g
c 440 g d 235 g 175 g
115 g

$1.21 $1.19
$1.78 $1.71
$2.19
6 Work out a formula for converting Cyclist’s journey
speed expressed as x m/s to y km/h.
100
7 Here is a travel graph of a bike
rider’s journey. Write a story about 80
Distance (km)

her ride, based on the information

in the graph. 60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Time (hours)
8 Match each of the stories below with Bushwalking trips
the most likely of these graphs.
a The bushwalker was fast at first,
B
but then got slower after lunch.
b The bushwalker kept a constant
Distance (km)

speed all day. A

c The bushwalker was slow at first,
but got faster after lunch.

Time (hours)

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 305 CHAPTER 10

 Language of maths
actual compare direction divide
Worksheet
10-09
equivalent part plan rate
Ratios and rates ratio scale scale drawing scaled
crossword simplify slope speed stationary
term travel graph unit unitary method
1 Which word in the list above means ‘not moving’.
2 List two differences between a ratio and a rate.
3 What is meant by the scale of a map or plan?
4 What does an average speed of 85 km/h actually mean?
5 Explain what is meant when something or someone is given ‘a rating’.
Explain whether this has the same meaning as as ‘rate’ in mathematics.
6 How is a change in speed represented on a travel graph?

Topic overview
• Give examples of places in which ratios and rates are used.
• What did you learn in this topic?
• What did you find most difficult about this topic?
Discuss any problems with your teacher or a friend.
• Copy this overview and add anything else you think it needs.

RATIOS
Problems
E_________

S__________ U _ _ _ _ _ _ method

F________
S _ _ _ _ drawings
and maps
D_______

RATES
80 100
60 120
40 140
20 km/h 160 T _ _ _ _ _ graphs
Problems 0 180

S____

306 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

 Chapter 10 Review Topic test
Chapter 10
1 Find the ratio of shaded parts to unshaded parts in each of these diagrams: Ex 10-01
a b

2 Copy and complete the following equivalent ratios: Ex 10-02

a 2:5 b 4:7
4 : 10 8 : 14
6: 12 :
: 20 : 28
10 : 10 20 :
: 30 : 42
3 Write three equivalent ratios for each of the following: Ex 10-02
3
a 5:6 b 21 : 4 c ---
7
4 Copy and complete the following equivalent ratios: Ex 10-02
a 2:3 = 8: b 1:5 = 2: c 2:3:4 = 6: :
d 3:4:5 = : 20 : e 2
---
3
= ---------
9
f 7
---
8
= 21
---------

5 Simplify each of the following ratios: Ex 10-03

a 12 : 21 b 25 : 75 c 6 : 36
d 25 : 45 e 18 : 6 : 24 f 5 : 25 : 100
6 Change the quantities to the same units first, then express each pair of quantities as a Ex 10-03
ratio in simplest form:
a 5 km to 2000 metres b 2 kg to 3000 grams c $25 to 100c
d 18 months to 4 years e 7 days to 5 weeks f 400 metres to 2 km
7 Simplify each of the following ratios: Ex 10-04
1 1 1 1 3 9
a ---
3
: ---
2
b ---
9
: ---
3
c ---
4
: ------
16
d 1 1--2- : 2 1--2-
4
e ---
5
: 2--3- f 3 1--3- : 2 2--5- g 0.35 : 0.45 h 0.08 : 1.2
i 0.98 : 0.245 j 1.5 : 6 k 91 : 5.6 l 2.7 : 1.8
8 The recipe for making 1 dozen muffins requires the following ingredients: Ex 10-05
• 1 cup of plain flour • 3 eggs
3
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder • ---
4
cup milk
1
• ---
4
cup of sugar • 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
Rewrite the recipe showing the ingredients needed to make 48 muffins.
9 Two friends win a prize of $100. They decide to share the prize in the ratio 2 : 3, Ex 10-06
because the ticket cost $5 and one contributed $2 and the other contributed $3.
How much prize money should each receive?

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 307 CHAPTER 10

Ex 10-06 10 Share $6000 in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3.
Ex 10-07 11 a The ratio of girls to boys in Year 8 is 4 : 3. If there are 75 boys in Year 8, find how
many girls there are.
b Donald and Evelyn invest in a business in the ratio 5 : 7. If Evelyn invested $63 000,
how much did Donald invest?
Ex 10-08 12 Measure the length of each scale drawing below, and then use the ratio to work out the
actual length of the object shown.
a Fish

Scale 1: 10

b Frog

Scale 1: 4
0 500 m
Ex 10-09 13 On a tourist map of Sydney the scale is given by
a Write this scale as a simplified ratio.
b Find the actual distance between the following places, given the scaled distance:
i Circular Quay station to the Opera House (2.5 cm)
ii Pyrmont Bridge to NSW Parliament House (4.4 cm)
c Find the scaled distance between the following places given the actual distance:
i Art Gallery of NSW to Sydney Tower (875 m)
ii Circular Quay to Central Railway station (2.5 km).
Ex 10-10 14 Write each of the following as a rate:
a $10.50 for 3 kg b 512 points in 4 games
c 220 km in 2 hours d $56.40 for 4 hours
e 425 marks in 5 tests f 260 runs in 50 overs
Ex 10-11 15 a Mince is $3.99/kg. How much is it for 5 kg?
b Amy drives for 2 1--2- hours at 90 km/h. How far does she travel?
c Daria earns $13.25/h. How much is she paid for 38 hours work?
d How many litres of petrol can you buy with $25 if petrol is 95c/L?
e Fertiliser is used at 20 kg/ha. How many hectares can be covered with 150 kg of
fertiliser?
Ex 10-12 16 Find the average speed for each of the following:
a A car travels a distance of 280 km in 4 hours.
b A horse travels a distance of 30 km in 3 hours.
c A jet travels a distance of 1200 km in 2 hours.
d A person walks 25 km in 5 hours.

308 NEW CENTURY MATHS 8

17 Find the speed for each of the following, after changing all units to kilometres and hours. Ex 10-12
a A cyclist travels a distance of 45 km in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
b A car travels a distance of 135 km in 1 hour and 30 minutes.
18 Find the distance travelled by: Ex 10-12

a a car which travels for 2 hours at an average speed of 85 km/h

b a truck which travels for 5 hours and 30 minutes at an average speed of 45 km/h
c a jet which travels for 1 hour at an average speed of 800 km/h.
19 Keith and Kent decided to go bushwalking. This travel graph shows their walk. Ex 10-13
a How far did Keith and Kent walk?
b How many stops did they make?
c Find their average speed in the first 1 1--2- hours.
d At what time did they start back?
e Between what times are Keith and Kent walking fastest?
Keith and Kent’s bushwalk

10
Distance from camp (km)

0
10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00
am am noon pm pm pm pm pm pm
Time

20 a Bill and Jill walked a distance of 2400 metres to school in 30 minutes. Find their Ex 10-14
(average) speed in:
i metres per minute
ii kilometres per hour.
b Find the speed of each animal below, first in metres per second, and then in
kilometres per hour.
i A farm dog ran 300 metres in 40 seconds.
ii A kangaroo travelled a distance of 150 metres in 12 seconds.

R AT I OS AND R AT E S 309 CHAPTER 10