how can you write a proportion that solves a problem in real life?
can someone give me some ideas please?
I drove 120 miles and used 4 gallons of gas. How many gallons will I use if I travel 500 miles?
Certainly! Proportions are commonly used in real-life scenarios to solve problems involving comparisons and scaling. Here are a few examples:
1. Recipe Adjustments: If you want to adjust a recipe to serve more or fewer people, you can write a proportion to calculate the new ingredient quantities. For example, if the original recipe calls for 2 cups of flour to make 4 pancakes, you can write the proportion: 2 cups / 4 pancakes = x cups / y pancakes. Solve the proportion to find out how much flour you need to make a different number of pancakes.
2. Fuel Efficiency: Suppose you want to compare the fuel efficiency of two different vehicles. You can write a proportion to determine which vehicle is more fuel-efficient. For instance, if one car travels 300 miles with 15 gallons of fuel, and another car travels 450 miles with 18 gallons, you can write the proportion: 300 miles / 15 gallons = 450 miles / 18 gallons. Solving this proportion will help identify the more fuel-efficient vehicle.
3. Scale Drawings: Proportions are often used in scale drawings, such as architectural plans or maps. If you have a map with a scale of 1 inch represents 10 miles, and you want to find the distance between two cities on the map, you can write a proportion: 1 inch / 10 miles = x inches / y miles. Solve the proportion to calculate the actual distance between the cities.
4. Currency Exchange: When traveling to a foreign country, you might need to convert currency. A proportion can be used to determine the equivalent value in your home currency. For example, if the exchange rate is 1 USD = 0.85 EUR, and you have 100 euros, you can write the proportion: 1 USD / 0.85 EUR = x USD / 100 EUR. Solving this proportion will give you the amount in US dollars.
Remember, in each of these examples, a proportion is composed of two ratios set equal to each other. By cross-multiplying and solving for the unknown variable, you can find the solution to the real-life problem.