Ratio, proportion and rates of change worksheet — GCSE Higher

1.The height of water in a tank, h metres, t minutes after a tap is opened is modelled by h = 0.02t² + 0.5. Estimate the instantaneous rate of change of the height at t = 10, using the gradient of the chord joining t = 9 and t = 11.

2.A taxi journey of m miles costs C pounds, where C = 2.5m + 3. A driver says the ratio C : m is the same for every journey. Is the driver correct? Give a reason for your answer.

3.A runner's speed is 8 m/s. Given that there are 3600 seconds in an hour and 1000 metres in a kilometre, work out the runner's speed in km/h.

4.The height of a candle, in cm, is measured as it burns: t = 0 min, height = 20.0; t = 3 min, height = 18.7; t = 5 min, height = 17.5; t = 6 min, height = 16.6; t = 7 min, height = 15.4; t = 9 min, height = 13.4. Which pair of readings gives the best estimate of the instantaneous rate of change of the height at t = 6 minutes, and why?

5.A gym charges members a joining fee plus a fixed amount per month. The total amount paid, C pounds, is shown on a straight-line graph against the number of months, m. The line passes through the points (3, 130) and (7, 210). Work out the total amount a member will have paid after 12 months.

6.Which of these ratios is equivalent to 6 : 10 : 14?

7.Two quantities x and y are inversely proportional. When x = 2, the value of y is 15. Work out the value of y when x = 5.

8.In a fruit drink, 3/8 of the total volume is orange juice and the rest is apple juice. Write down the ratio of orange juice to apple juice, in its simplest form.

9.y is directly proportional to x. When x = 4, y = 10. Work out the value of y when x = 6.

10.After a 20% discount, a jacket costs £48. Work out the original price of the jacket.

11.An architect builds a scale model of a staircase before construction. The model is mathematically similar to the real staircase, at a scale of 1 : 10. The model covers a floor area of 0.4 m² on the plan. Work out the floor area the real staircase will cover, giving your answer in m².

12.A fruit punch is made from orange juice, pineapple juice and lemonade in the ratio 5:3:2. A jug holds 3.5 litres of punch in total. Work out the volume of pineapple juice needed.

13.y is directly proportional to √x. When x = 4, y = 8. Construct the equation connecting x and y, then work out the value of y when x = 9.

14.A coach journey is 372 miles in total. After a stop, the coach has travelled 217 miles. Write the distance still to travel as a fraction of the total journey. Give your answer in its simplest form.

15.A furniture maker builds two mathematically similar bookcases. The smaller bookcase is 40 cm tall and uses 2 m² of wood. The larger bookcase is 60 cm tall. Work out the area of wood needed for the larger bookcase, giving your answer in m².