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Secondary 2 · Mathematics
Functions · Functions

Linear Function or Direct Proportionality

Before you start, make sure you know: Direct proportionality (Secondary Year 1)
Before you start, make sure you know: Tables and graphs (Secondary Year 1)

At the tortilla shop, a kilogram costs $\$24$. If you buy 2 kilograms you pay double, and if you buy 3 you pay triple. A cyclist who always rides at 20 km/h covers twice the distance in twice the time. When one quantity doubles and the other one does too, the relationship is a linear function (direct proportionality), and its graph is always a line that passes through the origin. How much will you pay for 3.5 kilograms of tortillas?

The direct proportionality function

You already saw in Year 1 that in a direct proportionality table the quotient $y/x$ is always the same. That quotient is exactly $m$: from $y = mx$ you solve for $m = \dfrac{y}{x}$.

  • If $m > 0$, the line is increasing (it goes up from left to right).

  • If $m < 0$, the line is decreasing (it goes down from left to right).

  • The greater $|m|$ is, the steeper the line.

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State, with reasons, which of the following three graphs corresponds to a direct proportion function.

State, with reasons, which of the following three graphs corresponds to a direct proportion function.

x y Graph A Graph B Graph C
Solve
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Given the direct proportion function $y = -3x$: State the value of its gradient. Is the function increasing or decreasing? Calculate the value of the output for $x = 2$…

Given the direct proportion function $y = -3x$:

  • State the value of its gradient.

  • Is the function increasing or decreasing?

  • Calculate the value of the output for $x = 2$ and for $x = -1$.

Solve
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Three friends compare their cell phone data plans to see how many gigabytes they consume when watching high-definition videos. It is known that consumption is…

Three friends compare their cell phone data plans to see how many gigabytes they consume when watching high-definition videos. It is known that consumption is proportional to the viewing time.

  • Plan A: $y = 0.8x$

  • Plan B: $y = 1.2x$

  • Plan C: $y = 0.5x$

Where $x$ is the time in hours and $y$ is the gigabytes consumed.

  1. a) Which of the three plans consumes data fastest? Justify your answer using the concept of slope.
  2. b) If a user has a daily limit of $6$ GB, how many hours of video could they watch with Plan B before running out of data?
Solve

The slope: how to find it and what it means

The constant $m$ is also called the slope: it is how much $y$ increases each time $x$ increases by 1 unit.

$$m = \frac{y}{x} = \frac{\text{rise}}{\text{run}}$$ Line y = 2x: when you move 1 unit horizontally, you go up 2 vertically, so the slope is m = 2. O(0, 0) P(1, 2) run 1 rise 2 m = 2

To find $m$, you only need one point on the line (other than the origin): divide its $y$ by its $x$. A table is checked the same way: if $y/x$ gives the same value in every column, it is a direct proportionality.

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In a sweet shop, each bag of sweets costs $\$30$. We want to study the relationship between the number of bags we buy ($x$) and the total money we pay ($y…

In a sweet shop, each bag of sweets costs $\$30$. We want to study the relationship between the number of bags we buy ($x$) and the total money we pay ($y$).

Identify:

  • The independent variable.

  • The dependent variable.

  • The constant of proportionality ($m$).

  • The equation of the function relating both quantities.

Solve
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Observe the following table of values relating the time an LED light bulb is turned on ($x$, in hours) to energy consumption ($y$, in watt-hours, Wh): | Time ($x$) | 1 |…

Observe the following table of values relating the time an LED light bulb is turned on ($x$, in hours) to energy consumption ($y$, in watt-hours, Wh):

Time ($x$) 1 2 3 4
Consumption ($y$) 9 18 27 36

State whether it is a direct proportion function, calculate its constant of proportionality and write its equation.

Solve
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Find the gradient of the following direct proportion function represented on the graph and write its equation in the form $y = mx$.

Find the gradient of the following direct proportion function represented on the graph and write its equation in the form $y = mx$.

x y −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 3 2 1 −1 −2 −3 Δx=1 Δy=2 O(0,0) P(1,2)
Solve
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State, with reasons, which of the following tables correspond to a direct proportion function. For those that do, calculate their constant of proportionality ($m$) and…

State, with reasons, which of the following tables correspond to a direct proportion function. For those that do, calculate their constant of proportionality ($m$) and write their equation.

Table 1:

$x$ $2$ $4$ $6$
$y$ $10$ $20$ $30$

Table 2:

$x$ $1$ $2$ $3$
$y$ $5$ $7$ $9$

Table 3:

$x$ $-1$ $-3$ $-5$
$y$ $4$ $12$ $20$
Solve
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Find the equation of the direct proportion function $y = mx$ whose graph passes through the point $A(-3, 12)$. Represent the function graphically, indicating at least…

Find the equation of the direct proportion function $y = mx$ whose graph passes through the point $A(-3, 12)$. Represent the function graphically, indicating at least two other points through which the line passes.

You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.

Solve

Graphing $y = mx$

Two points are enough: the origin $O(0, 0)$ always works as one, and for the other you substitute a simple value of $x$ (for example $x = 1$) into the formula.

A table also works: for $y = 4x$ and $x = -2, -1, 0, 1, 2$ you get $y = -8, -4, 0, 4, 8$. The points line up along a line that passes through the origin.

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Complete the following table knowing that the relationship between $x$ and $y$ is directly proportional with a constant of $m = 4$. Then, plot the points on a Cartesian…

Complete the following table knowing that the relationship between $x$ and $y$ is directly proportional with a constant of $m = 4$. Then, plot the points on a Cartesian plane.

$x$ -2 -1 0 1 2
$y$

You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.

Solve
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A delivery drone flies at a constant speed of $12$ meters per second ($m/s$). a) Complete the following table relating flight time ($x$) to distance covered ($y$): |…

A delivery drone flies at a constant speed of $12$ meters per second ($m/s$).

  1. a) Complete the following table relating flight time ($x$) to distance covered ($y$):
Time ($s$) $1$ $5$ $10$ $30$
Distance ($m$) $12$
  1. b) Represent the function graphically.
  2. c) State the slope and explain its physical meaning in this problem.
Time t (s) Distance d (m) 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 60 120 180 240 300 360 420 Δt = 10 s Δd = 120 m v = 12 m/s
Solve
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Look at the following graph, which represents two direct proportionality functions, $r$ and $s$. They show the points obtained by two players in a video game over time…

Look at the following graph, which represents two direct proportionality functions, $r$ and $s$. They show the points obtained by two players in a video game over time (time is in minutes).

Graph with two lines through the origin: line r passes through point P(2, 10) and line s passes through point Q(4, 8). Horizontal axis: time in minutes; vertical axis: points.012345624681012Time (min)PointsrsP(2, 10)Q(4, 8)
  1. a) Find the equation of line $r$, given that it passes through the point $P(2, 10)$.
  1. b) Find the equation of line $s$, given that it passes through the point $Q(4, 8)$.
  1. c) What does the slope represent in this context?
Solve
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The following graph shows the relationship between the volume of water ($V$) in a cylindrical container and the height ($h$) reached by the water level. Due to the shape…

The following graph shows the relationship between the volume of water ($V$) in a cylindrical container and the height ($h$) reached by the water level. Due to the shape of the container, this relationship is directly proportional.

h=6cm V=4L h (cm) V (L) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 P(6, 4)
  • From the points shown on the graph, determine the constant of proportionality.

  • Write the equation to calculate the volume as a function of height.

  • What height will the water reach if we pour $7$ liters into the container?

Solve

Direct proportionality in real life

Many everyday situations are direct proportionalities: constant speed, price per unit, constant data or energy consumption. The key is to identify $m$: what each unit is worth.

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A pizza delivery person on a bicycle travels at a constant speed of $20 \text{ km/h}$. Write the function relating the distance covered ($y$, in km) to the elapsed time…

A pizza delivery person on a bicycle travels at a constant speed of $20 \text{ km/h}$.

  • Write the function relating the distance covered ($y$, in km) to the elapsed time ($x$, in hours).

  • How many kilometers will they have traveled after $3$ hours of work?

Solve
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In a cooking recipe, it states that for every $100 \text{ g}$ of flour you must use $2$ eggs. Calculate the constant of proportionality relating the number of eggs ($y$)…

In a cooking recipe, it states that for every $100 \text{ g}$ of flour you must use $2$ eggs.

  • Calculate the constant of proportionality relating the number of eggs ($y$) to the amount of flour ($x$, measured in hundreds of grams).

  • Write the equation of the function.

  • If we have a bag of $500 \text{ g}$ of flour, how many eggs will we need according to this function?

Solve
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In a recycling campaign, an NGO has determined that for every kilogram of PET plastic containers recycled, $1.5$ liters of oil are saved in the manufacture of new…

In a recycling campaign, an NGO has determined that for every kilogram of PET plastic containers recycled, $1.5$ liters of oil are saved in the manufacture of new products.

  1. a) Write the function relating the kilograms of recycled plastic ($x$) to the liters of oil saved ($y$).
  2. b) Create a table of values for $0, 5, 10$ and $20$ kg of plastic.
  3. c) How many liters of oil will have been saved if the school manages to recycle $120$ kg of containers?
5 10 15 20 25 10 20 30 40 0 x (kg PET) y (Liters of oil) y = 1.5x (5, 7.5) (10, 15) (20, 30)
Solve
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In an app store, downloading a pack of "virtual coins" for a game follows a linear function. We know that $500$ coins cost $90$ pesos. a) Calculate the constant of…

In an app store, downloading a pack of "virtual coins" for a game follows a linear function. We know that $500$ coins cost $90$ pesos.

  1. a) Calculate the constant of proportionality (price per coin).
  2. b) Write the algebraic expression of the function relating the number of coins ($x$) to the cost in pesos ($y$).
  3. c) If a teenager has saved $300$ pesos, how many coins can they buy at most?
Solve
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A 3D printing company charges schools only for the material used. It is known that $100$ grams of PLA filament cost $70$ pesos. a) Determine the function that calculates…

A 3D printing company charges schools only for the material used. It is known that $100$ grams of PLA filament cost $70$ pesos.

  1. a) Determine the function that calculates the cost ($y$) according to the grams of material ($x$).
  2. b) Is it an increasing or decreasing function? Why?
  3. c) If the part you want to print for your Technology project weighs $45$ grams, how much will the printing cost you?
Solve
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On a video game streaming platform, the streaming quality consumes data in proportion to the time of use. A user has checked that after playing for $15$ minutes, their…

On a video game streaming platform, the streaming quality consumes data in proportion to the time of use. A user has checked that after playing for $15$ minutes, their router shows a consumption of $1.2$ gigabytes (GB).

  • Determine the constant of proportionality $m$ that relates the data consumption ($y$, in GB) to the time ($x$, in minutes).

  • Write the equation of the linear function that models this situation.

  • If the user has a daily limit of $5$ GB before their speed is reduced, how many exact minutes and seconds can they play while maintaining that quality?

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 t (min) 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6 2.0 2.4 2.8 y (GB) y = m·x P(15, 1.2) Q(30, 2.4) Δx = 15 Δy = 1.2 m = Δy/Δx
Solve
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A robotics laboratory is testing a prototype moving in a straight line at a constant speed. It is known that the function relating the distance covered ($d$) to the time…

A robotics laboratory is testing a prototype moving in a straight line at a constant speed. It is known that the function relating the distance covered ($d$) to the time ($t$) is a direct proportion function. At $t = 4.5$ seconds, the robot has covered exactly $11.25$ meters.

  • Calculate the slope of the function and state what physical quantity it represents in this context.

  • Write the algebraic expression of the function.

  • If the robot must complete a $0.05$-kilometer track, how long will it take? Express the result in seconds.

Solve
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In a design workshop, they use a laser cutting machine that consumes energy in proportion to the area of the cut material. It has been observed that to cut $4$ square…

In a design workshop, they use a laser cutting machine that consumes energy in proportion to the area of the cut material. It has been observed that to cut $4$ square pieces of $15$ cm side each, the machine consumes $180$ Joules (J).

  • Calculate the energy consumption per square centimeter cut ($cm^2$).

  • Define the linear function that relates total energy consumption ($y$) to the surface area cut ($x$).

  • How much energy would the machine consume to cut a single rectangular panel measuring $0.4$ meters long by $25$ centimeters wide?

Solve
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Two friends, Lucía and Marcos, are saving up for a trip. Lucía saves at a constant rate given by the function $f(x) = 250x$, where $x$ is the number of weeks and $y$ is…

Two friends, Lucía and Marcos, are saving up for a trip. Lucía saves at a constant rate given by the function $f(x) = 250x$, where $x$ is the number of weeks and $y$ is the money saved in pesos. Marcos does not know his function, but he knows that in week $8$ he had saved exactly $1\,840$ pesos and that his savings are also proportional to time.

  • Find the equation of Marcos's function, $g(x)$.

  • Plot both functions on the same set of axes (sketch).

  • Which of the two has a steeper "slope"? Interpret this result in terms of who saves faster.

  • If the trip costs $6\,000$ pesos, how many weeks of difference will there be between the time Lucía gets the money and the time Marcos gets it?

Time (weeks) Savings ($) 0 1 000 2 000 3 000 4 000 5 000 6 000 7 000 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 Goal: $6 000 Lucía f(x)=250x Marcos g(x)=230x M(8, 1 840) ~26.1 Difference
Solve
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A scaled map shows a direct proportion relationship between the distance measured on paper ($x$, in millimeters) and the real distance on the ground ($y$, in…

A scaled map shows a direct proportion relationship between the distance measured on paper ($x$, in millimeters) and the real distance on the ground ($y$, in kilometers). We know that a real distance of $150$ km is represented on the map by a segment of $60$ mm.

  • Determine the equation of the linear function that converts mm on the map to real km.

  • What real distance separates two cities if they are $14.4$ centimeters apart on the map? (Be careful with the units).

  • If we want to represent a hiking route of $12,500$ meters, how many millimeters will it measure on the map?

Solve
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Hooke's law states that the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied to it. A spring measures $12$ cm at rest. When hanging a weight of $2$…

Hooke's law states that the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied to it. A spring measures $12$ cm at rest. When hanging a weight of $2$ kg, the spring measures $15$ cm.

  • Note: The function of proportionality relates the force (or mass, in this case) to the extension (the increase in length), not to the total length. Calculate the extension produced by the $2$ kg.

  • Determine the constant of proportionality $m$ ($cm/kg$).

  • Write the function $y = mx$ relating extension $y$ to mass $x$.

  • What will be the total length of the spring if we hang a weight of $5.4$ kg?

0 5 10 12 15 At rest L₀ = 12 cm x=2kg L = 15 cm y Extension
Solve
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A plastic recycling company estimates that the weight of polyethylene obtained ($y$) is directly proportional to the number of empty bottles processed ($x$). When…

A plastic recycling company estimates that the weight of polyethylene obtained ($y$) is directly proportional to the number of empty bottles processed ($x$). When processing a container with $120$ bottles, $3.3$ kg of recycled material is obtained.

  • Find the constant of proportionality and explain its meaning.

  • If the company receives an order to manufacture parts that require $55$ kg of plastic, how many bottles will they need to recycle?

  • If for each recycled bottle the company receives a subsidy of $0.30$ pesos, write the linear function relating the money received ($D$) to the weight of plastic obtained ($y$). (Note: you will need to combine the bottle-weight relationship with the bottle-money relationship).

Solve

Back to the beginning: if a kilogram of tortillas costs $\$24$, the function is $y = 24x$, and for 3.5 kilograms you pay $y = 24 \times 3.5 = 84$ pesos.

Summary

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