Direct & Inverse Proportion (OCR GCSE Maths: Higher): Exam Questions

Exam code: J560

3 hours53 questions
1
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3 marks

It takes 12 workers 5 hours to build a wall.

Assuming all the workers work at the same rate, how long would it take 4 workers to build the same wall?

1
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3 marks

Yesterday it took 5 cleaners 412  hours to clean all the rooms in a hotel.

There are only 3 cleaners to clean all the rooms in the hotel today.

Each cleaner is paid £8.20 for each hour or part of an hour they work.

How much will each cleaner be paid today?

2
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3 marks

p is inversely proportional to t.

When  t = 4, p = 12

Find the value of  p  when  t = 6

3
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3 marks

d is inversely proportional to c

When c = 280,  d = 25

Find the value of d when c = 350

4
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3 marks

y is inversely proportional to x

When x= 1.5, y = 36 

Find the value of y when x = 6

5a
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3 marks

At a depth of x metres, the temperature of the water in an ocean is TC.
At depths below  900 metres, T is inversely proportional to x.

T is given by

            T = 4500x

Work out the difference in the temperature of the water at a depth of  1200  metres and the temperature of the water at a depth of  2500 metres.

5b
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1 mark

Here are four graphs.

q5b-medium-3-4-direct-and-inverse-proportional-edexcel-gcse-maths

One of the graphs could show that T is inversely proportional to x.

Write down the letter of this graph.

6
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5 marks

Carol makes birthday cards.
Each card takes the same amount of time to make.

She makes 3 cards in 48 minutes.
She has an order for 80 cards.

Can she complete this order in 3 days if she works 8 hours each day?
Show how you decide.

..................... because .............................................................................

7
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3 marks

y is inversely proportional to x.
y = 0.04 when x = 80.

Find the value of y when x = 32.

= ...................

8
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2 marks

The table shows values of x and y.

x

4

16

36

y

6

3

2

Show that these values fit the relationship that y is inversely proportional to x .

9a
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2 marks

Sam and two friends put letters in envelopes on Monday.
The three of them take two hours to put 600 letters in envelopes.

On Tuesday Sam has three friends helping.

Working at the same rate, how many letters should the four of them be able to put in envelopes in two hours?

9b
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4 marks

Working at the same rate, how much longer would it take four people to put 1000 letters in envelopes than it would take five people?

9c
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2 marks

Sam says

It took two hours for three people to put 600 letters in envelopes.

If I assume they work all day, then in one day three people will put 7200 letters in envelopes because 600 × 12 = 7200.

Why is Sam’s assumption not reasonable?
What effect has Sam’s assumption had on her answer?

10a
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5 marks

Donald swims 3 lengths of a swimming pool in 93 seconds.

i) Use this information to show that he could swim 100 lengths in under 55 minutes.

[4]

ii) What assumption did you make in part (i)?

[1]

10b
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1 mark

Donald tries to swim the 100 lengths in under 55 minutes.

Suggest one reason why he might not achieve this.

11a
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3 marks

T is directly proportional to the cube of  r

T = 21.76 when r = 4

Find a formula for T in terms of r.

11b
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1 mark

Work out the value of T when r = 6.

12
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2 marks

y is inversely proportional to x.

Complete the table.

x

12

6

 

y

 

4

8

13
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4 marks

The diagrams show the position of a tap when off and fully on.

The tap is fully on when the angle of turn is 180°

q9-1-paper-2h-nov-2018-aqa-gcse-maths

When fully on, water flows out of the tap at 14 litres per minute. The rate at which water flows out is in direct proportion to the angle of turn. The tap is turned 135°

q9-2-paper-2h-nov-2018-aqa-gcse-maths

The water flows into a tank with a capacity of 79.8 litres.
Will it take less than 712 minutes to fill the tank?

You must show your working.

14a
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3 marks

To complete a task in 15 days a company needs

4 people each working for 8 hours per day.

The company decides to have

5 people each working for 6 hours per day.

Assume that each person works at the same rate.

How many days will the task take to complete?
You must show your working.

14b
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1 mark

Comment on how the assumption affects your answer to part (a).

15
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1 mark

y is directly proportional to x.

Which graph shows this?

Circle the correct letter.

q4-paper3h-specimen2015-aqa-gcse-maths
16
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3 marks

y is inversely proportional to x3.

y=50 when x=2.

Find the value of y when x=5.

1
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4 marks

y is directly proportional to the square of x.

When x = 3, y = 36

Find the value of y when x = 5

2
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3 marks

h is inversely proportional to the square of r.

When  r=5, h=3.4

Find the value of h when r = 8

3
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4 marks

Given that y  1x2, complete this table of values.

x

1

2

5

10

y

 

 

 

1

4
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3 marks

The intensity of the sound, I watts/m2, received from a loudspeaker is inversely proportional to the square of the distance, d metres, from the loudspeaker.

When d = 2, I = 30
Work out the value of I when d = 10

5
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3 marks

T is inversely proportional to d2 T = 12 when d = 8
Find the value of T when d = 0.5

6
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2 marks
LJeW5o9-_q6-hard-3-3-direct-and-inverse-proportional-edexcel-gcse-maths

The graphs of y against x represent four different types of proportionality.

Match each type of proportionality in the table to the correct graph.

Type of proportionality

Graph letter

y  x

 

y  x2

 

y  x

 

y  1x

 

7
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3 marks

A company has to make a large number of boxes.

The company has 6 machines. All the machines work at the same rate.
When all the machines are working, they can make all the boxes in 9 days.

The table gives the number of machines working each day.

 

day 1

day 2

day 3 

all other days

Number of machines working

3

4

5

6

Work out the total number of days taken to make all the boxes.

8
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4 marks

Three people take 212 hours to deliver leaflets to 270 houses.

Assuming all people deliver leaflets at the same rate, how long will it take five people to deliver leaflets to 405 houses?
Give your answer in hours and minutes.

................. hours ................. minutes 

9
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3 marks

y is inversely proportional to the square root of x. y is 40 when x is 9.

Find a formula linking x and y.

10
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3 marks

The graph shows the speed, v metres per second (m/s), of a car at time t seconds.

q15-paper4-june2017-ocr-gcse-maths

The speed of this car is directly proportional to the square of the time.
Find a formula linking v and t.

11
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3 marks

A is inversely proportional to C2 A = 40 when C = 1.5
Calculate the value of C when A = 1000

C = ...................................................

12a
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3 marks

R is proportional to t2
The graph shows the relationship between R and t for 0  t  4

q16-paper2h-june2018-edexcel-igcse-maths

Find a formula for R in terms of t.

12b
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2 marks

Given also that R =85x
show that t is inversely proportional to x for t > 0

13
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3 marks

F is inversely proportional to the square of v.

Given that F = 6.5 when v = 4

find a formula for F in terms of v.

14a
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3 marks

T is inversely proportional to m2

T = 30 when m = 0.5

Find a formula for T in terms of m.

14b
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1 mark

Work out the value of T when m = 0.1

15a
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3 marks

The following table gives values of  x and y where y is inversely proportional to the square of  x .

x

1.5

2

3

4

y

16

9

4

2.25

Find a formula for y in terms of x.

15b
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2 marks

Given that x> 0

find the value of x when y = 144.

16a
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3 marks

P  is inversely proportional to  q  P  = 10 when q = 0.0064
Find a formula for  P  in terms of q.

16b
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2 marks

Find the value of  q  when  P = 20.

17a
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3 marks

y is inversely proportional to x

      y = 4     when     x = 9

Work out an equation connecting y and x.

17b
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2 marks

Work out the value of y when x = 25.

18
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3 marks

15 machines work at the same rate. Together, the 15 machines can complete an order in 8 hours.

3 of the machines break down after working for 6 hours.
The other machines carry on working until the order is complete.

In total, how many hours does each of the other machines work?

............................hours

19
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1 mark

V=kH  where k is a constant.
Which two statements are correct?

Tick two boxes.

V is directly proportional to H

V is inversely proportional to H

V is directly proportional to 1H

V is inversely proportional to 1H

20
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1 mark

xy = c where c is a constant.
Circle the correct statement.

y is directly proportional to x

y is directly proportional to 1x

y is inversely proportional to 1x

x is directly proportional to y

1a
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2 marks

The table shows a set of values for x and y.

x

1

2

3

4

y

9

214

1

916

y is inversely proportional to the square of x.

Find an equation for y in terms of x.

1b
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2 marks

Find the positive value of x when y=16.

2
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3 marks

y is directly proportional to x3

y = 116 when  x=8
Find the value of y when x=64

3
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5 marks

y is inversely proportional to d2 When d = 10, y=4

d is directly proportional to x2 When x = 2, d = 24

Find a formula for y in terms of x.
Give your answer in its simplest form.

4
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3 marks

A pendulum of length  L  cm has time period T seconds.
T is directly proportional to the square root of L.

The length of the pendulum is increased by 40%.

Work out the percentage increase in the time period.

5
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1 mark

D is directly proportional to the cube of n.
Mary says that when n is doubled, the value of D is multiplied by 6

Mary is wrong.
Explain why.

6
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2 marks

These graphs show four different proportionality relationships between y and x.

q6-hard-3-3-direct-and-inverse-proportional-edexcel-gcse-maths

Match each graph with a statement in the table below.

Proportionality relationship

Graph letter

y is directly proportional to x

 

y is inversely proportional to x

 

y is proportional to the square of x

 

y is inversely proportional to the square of x

 

7
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4 marks

h is inversely proportional to p p is directly proportional to t

Given that h = 10 and t = 144 when p = 6
find a formula for h in terms of t

8
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4 marks

y is directly proportional to the square of x.

Find the percentage increase in y when x is increased by 15%.

9
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4 marks

At a constant temperature, the volume of a gas V is inversely proportional to its pressure p.
By what percentage will the pressure of a gas change if its volume increases by 25%?

10
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4 marks

x is directly proportional to y. y is directly proportional to z.

When x = 10, y = 60.
When y = 8, z = 1.6.

Find a formula for z in terms of x.

11
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4 marks

y is inversely proportional to x x is directly proportional to T3

Given that y = 8  when T = 25 find the exact value of  T when y = 27

T = ......................................................

12a
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3 marks

y is directly proportional to the cube of x

y = 20 h when x = h      (h  0)

Find a formula for y in terms of  x and h

y = .....................

12b
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2 marks

Find x in terms of h when y = 67.5 h
Give your answer in its simplest form.

x =.......................

13a
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3 marks

A is inversely proportional to the square of r.  A = 5 when r = 0.3.
Find a formula for A in terms of r.

13b
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3 marks

Find the value of A when r = 7.5A

A = .............................................

14
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4 marks

Beth and Mia translate documents from Spanish into English.
A set of documents that would take Beth 8 days would take Mia 10 days.

Beth starts to translate the documents.
After 2 days Beth and Mia both work on translating the documents.

How many more days will it take to complete the work?
You must show your working.

......................days

15a
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3 marks

y is directly proportional to x3

y = 17   when   x = 4

Work out an equation connecting y and x.

15b
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1 mark

m is inversely proportional to r.

The value of  r is multiplied by 4.

Circle what happens to the value of m.

×2

×16

÷2

÷16

16
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5 marks

P, Q and  R have positive values.

P is directly proportional to the square of Q.
When P = 1.25, Q = 0.5 Q is inversely proportional to R.
When Q = 0.5, R = 6

Work out the value of R when P = 0.8