Equations of Proportional Relationships Quick Check

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It looks like you’re looking for help with proportional relationships and their equations. Proportional relationships are those in which two quantities maintain a constant ratio to each other. Here’s a quick overview of how to identify and write equations for proportional relationships:

Key Concepts:

  1. Constant of Proportionality: The ratio between the two quantities in a proportional relationship is called the constant of proportionality (k). It can be expressed as:

    \[ k = \frac{y}{x} \]

    where \(y\) and \(x\) are the quantities involved.

  2. Equation of Proportional Relationships: Proportional relationships can be written as:

    \[ y = kx \]

    where \(y\) is the dependent variable, \(x\) is the independent variable, and \(k\) is the constant of proportionality.

  3. Graph of Proportional Relationships: The graph of a proportional relationship is a straight line that passes through the origin (0,0).

Steps to Identify and Write Equations:

  1. Determine if the Relationship is Proportional: Check if the ratio between the two quantities is constant.

  2. Find the Constant of Proportionality: Calculate \(k\) using any pair of (x, y) values.

  3. Write the Equation: Substitute \(k\) into the equation \(y = kx\).

Example Problem:

Problem: A recipe requires 3 cups of flour for every 4 cups of sugar. Is this a proportional relationship? If so, write the equation.

  1. Determine if it’s Proportional: The ratio of flour to sugar is consistent.

    \( \frac{3 \text{ cups of flour}}{4 \text{ cups of sugar}} = \frac{3}{4}\)

  2. Find the Constant of Proportionality: Here, we can express the relationship as \(y = kx\) where \(y\) could be the amount of flour and \(x\) is sugar. \[ k = \frac{3 \text{ cups of flour}}{4 \text{ cups of sugar}} = \frac{3}{4} \]

  3. Write the Equation: Substituting in the values, you get: \[ y = \frac{3}{4}x \]

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