Proportional Reasoning — Class 8 Mathematics (Ganita Prakash)
What the book actually covers (2026-27) The book titles this chapter "Proportional Reasoning — 1", and it has six sections: Observing Similarity in Change, Ratios, Ratios in their Simplest Form, Problem Solving with Proportional Reasoning, Sharing, but Not Equally! and Unit Conversions. Percentages, profit and loss, discount and simple interest are not in this chapter. They belong to Fractions in Disguise (Part 2, Chapter 1 — the eighth chapter of the course). That material is still Class 8 and is still on this page below, but study it with that chapter, not this one. The four things this chapter is really examined on: the cross-product test for proportion, dividing a quantity in a given ratio (add the parts first), rates and unit conversions — especially 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft — and inverse proportion, where being four times faster means taking a quarter of the time.
"Almost every real-world problem — recipes, currency conversion, taxes, salary hikes, election polls — is at heart a problem of proportions."
1. About the Chapter
'Proportional Reasoning' is one of the most practically useful chapters in your school career. It teaches:
- Ratios — comparing two quantities
- Proportions — equality of two ratios
- Direct proportion (one quantity grows as another grows)
- Inverse proportion (one quantity grows as another shrinks)
- Unitary method — find the value of one unit, then scale
- Percentages and their applications
- Profit/loss/discount in commercial math
- Simple interest in banking
Key Idea
Proportional reasoning is the mathematics of comparing rates and scaling. Whether you're doubling a recipe, calculating tax, or planning a trip, you're using proportions.
2. Ratios — Comparing Quantities
Definition
A ratio compares two quantities of the same kind by division.
The ratio of a to b is a : b (read "a is to b") or a/b.
Simplification
Ratios should be in simplest form (HCF = 1).
- 6 : 9 → 2 : 3 (divide both by 3)
- 25 : 75 → 1 : 3
Equivalent Ratios
Multiply both terms by the same non-zero number.
- 1 : 2 = 3 : 6 = 5 : 10 = 100 : 200
Comparing Ratios
To compare 3:4 and 5:7, convert to common denominator (LCM):
- 3:4 = 21:28
- 5:7 = 20:28
- 21:28 > 20:28, so 3:4 > 5:7
3. Proportion
Definition
A proportion is an equality of two ratios.
If a:b = c:d, then a, b, c, d are in proportion.
This is often written: a/b = c/d or a : b :: c : d (read "a is to b as c is to d").
The Cross-Product Rule
If a/b = c/d, then ad = bc (cross-multiplication).
This is the most useful rule for solving proportion problems.
Example
Solve: x/4 = 12/16
- Cross multiply: 16x = 48
- x = 3 ✓
4. Direct Proportion
Definition
Two quantities x and y are in direct proportion if y/x = constant, i.e., as x increases, y increases (and vice versa).
We write: y ∝ x (y is proportional to x) → y = kx where k is a constant.
Examples
- Distance traveled is directly proportional to time (at constant speed)
- Cost is directly proportional to quantity
- Salary is directly proportional to hours worked (at fixed hourly rate)
Solving
Method 1 — Unitary:
- Find the value of one unit
- Multiply by required number of units
Example: If 5 pens cost ₹25, find cost of 7 pens.
- Cost of 1 pen = ₹25/5 = ₹5
- Cost of 7 pens = ₹35
Method 2 — Proportion:
- Set up: x₁/y₁ = x₂/y₂
- Cross multiply
Same example:
- 5/25 = 7/y → 5y = 175 → y = ₹35
5. Inverse Proportion
Definition
Two quantities x and y are in inverse proportion if xy = constant, i.e., as x increases, y decreases.
We write: y ∝ 1/x → y = k/x.
Examples
- Time and speed (for a fixed distance): more speed = less time
- Number of workers and time (for a fixed job): more workers = less time per worker
- Number of people and food rations (for a fixed amount): more people = less per person
Solving
Example: 8 workers complete a job in 12 days. How many days will 6 workers take?
- xy = constant
- 8 × 12 = 6 × y → y = 96/6 = 16 days
5A. Sharing, but Not Equally
Dividing a quantity in a given ratio is the single most-tested skill in this chapter.
The method
To divide a total T in the ratio a : b:
- Add the parts — the total splits into (a + b) equal shares.
- One share = T ÷ (a + b).
- The two amounts are a/(a+b) × T and b/(a+b) × T.
₹4,500 in the ratio 2 : 3. Total parts 5, one share ₹900, so the amounts are ₹1,800 and ₹2,700. Always check both ways: they add back to ₹4,500 ✓ and 1800 : 2700 = 2 : 3 ✓
The most common error in the whole chapter. In acid : water = 1 : 5, the acid is one part out of six, so one sixth of the solution — not one fifth. In 240 mL, the acid is 240 ÷ 6 = 40 mL. Add the parts before you do anything else.
When one component is added later
Adding to a mixture changes only that component; the other is untouched and the total simply grows.
Blue : yellow = 3 : 5 in 40 mL gives 15 mL and 25 mL. Add 20 mL of yellow → blue still 15 mL, yellow now 45 mL, so the new ratio is 15 : 45 = 1 : 3.
Watch the units of "one bucket". If a bucket of paint is 3 : 5 red to yellow and a whole extra bucket of yellow is added, the red stays at 3/8 of a bucket while the yellow rises to 5/8 + 1 = 13/8. The new ratio is 3 : 13 — not 3 : 6, because a whole bucket is 8 parts, not 1.
5B. Rates and Unit Conversions
A rate compares quantities in different units — km per hour, people per sq km, bricks per foot. Reducing to a per-unit figure is what makes differently-sized things comparable.
Why raw totals mislead
| City | Population | Area | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 30 million | 1,484 sq km | ≈ 20,216 per sq km |
| Mumbai | 20 million | 550 sq km | ≈ 36,364 per sq km |
Delhi has more people but Mumbai is far more crowded — two-thirds of the population on barely a third of the land. Crowding is a rate, not a total.
A mental check that avoids long division: Delhi's area is about 2.7× Mumbai's while its population is only 1.5× as large. Since 1.5 < 2.7, Delhi must be less dense.
Convert units BEFORE setting up a proportion
| Conversion | Value |
|---|---|
| 1 acre | 43,560 sq ft |
| 1 litre | 1000 mL |
| 1 tonne | 1000 kg |
| 1 year | 52 weeks |
Mixing a per-acre rate with an area in square feet gives an answer wrong by a factor of tens of thousands.
10 tonnes of manure per acre, plot 200 ft × 500 ft. Area = 100,000 sq ft = 100,000 ÷ 43,560 ≈ 2.3 acres → about 23 tonnes.
Inverse proportion
When one quantity rises as the other falls, divide instead of multiplying.
A tractor 4 times faster than oxen takes one quarter of the time: 6 hours per acre becomes 1.5 hours. Over 20 acres that is 120 hours against 30.
Rounding for indivisible units
204 people at 54 per bus needs 204 ÷ 54 = 3.78 buses. You cannot hire 0.78 of a bus, so round up to 4 — then say that 4 × 54 = 216 seats leaves 12 empty.
Always round up for buses, boxes and tickets, even when ordinary rounding would go down.
6. Percentages — A Power Concept
Not in Chapter 7. Percentages, profit and loss, discount and simple interest belong to Fractions in Disguise (Part 2, Chapter 1 — the eighth chapter of the course). Everything from here to the end of the page is kept for reference and revision, but study it alongside that chapter.
What is a Percentage?
A percentage is a rate per hundred. The symbol % means "per 100".
- 25% means 25 per 100 = 25/100 = 0.25
- 60% means 60/100 = 0.6
Converting
Fraction to Percentage: multiply by 100.
- 3/5 → (3/5) × 100% = 60%
Percentage to Fraction: divide by 100.
- 75% → 75/100 = 3/4
Decimal to Percentage: multiply by 100.
- 0.4 → 40%
Percentage to Decimal: divide by 100.
- 35% → 0.35
Finding Percentage of a Number
x% of N = (x/100) × N
- 20% of 500 = (20/100) × 500 = 100
- 15% of 80 = (15/100) × 80 = 12
Percentage Increase / Decrease
% increase = (Increase / Original) × 100 % decrease = (Decrease / Original) × 100
Example: A salary increases from ₹40,000 to ₹46,000. Find % increase.
- Increase = 6000
- % increase = (6000/40000) × 100 = 15%
7. Profit and Loss
Definitions
- CP (Cost Price): the price at which an item is bought
- SP (Selling Price): the price at which an item is sold
- Profit = SP − CP (when SP > CP)
- Loss = CP − SP (when SP < CP)
Profit/Loss Percentage
Profit % = (Profit / CP) × 100 Loss % = (Loss / CP) × 100
(ALWAYS calculate percentage on CP!)
Examples
Example 1: An item bought for ₹400 is sold for ₹500. Find profit %.
- Profit = 500 − 400 = ₹100
- Profit % = (100/400) × 100 = 25%
Example 2: A book bought for ₹250 is sold at 20% loss. Find SP.
- Loss = 20% of 250 = ₹50
- SP = 250 − 50 = ₹200
Discount
Discount is a reduction from the marked price (MP):
- SP = MP − Discount
- Discount % = (Discount / MP) × 100
Example: A shirt's MP is ₹800, discount 25%. Find SP.
- Discount = 25% of 800 = ₹200
- SP = 800 − 200 = ₹600
8. Simple Interest
Definition
Simple Interest (SI) is the interest charged on a fixed principal at a fixed rate, calculated only on the original principal.
Formula
SI = (P × R × T) / 100
where:
- P = Principal (original amount)
- R = Rate per annum (% per year)
- T = Time (in years)
Amount
A = P + SI
Examples
Example 1: ₹10,000 deposited at 6% per annum for 3 years. Find SI and Amount.
- SI = (10000 × 6 × 3) / 100 = ₹1,800
- A = 10000 + 1800 = ₹11,800
Example 2: An amount becomes ₹6,000 from ₹5,000 in 2 years. Find the rate.
- SI = 6000 − 5000 = ₹1,000
- R = (SI × 100) / (P × T) = (1000 × 100) / (5000 × 2) = 10%
9. Common Word Problems
Type 1: Unitary Method
"If A objects cost B rupees, how much do C objects cost?"
- Cost per object = B/A
- Total for C = (B/A) × C
Type 2: Direct Proportion
"x is to y as p is to q" → cross multiply
Type 3: Inverse Proportion
"M workers do a job in N days; how many days for X workers?"
- M × N = X × ? → ? = M × N / X
Type 4: Profit/Loss with Discount
"MP is X, discount Y%, profit Z%; find CP."
- SP = X(1 − Y/100)
- CP = SP / (1 + Z/100)
Type 5: Simple Interest
Direct formula application.
10. Worked Examples
Example 1: Simplify Ratio
Simplify 36 : 60.
- HCF(36, 60) = 12
- 36/12 : 60/12 = 3 : 5
Example 2: Direct Proportion
If 12 books cost ₹360, find cost of 18 books.
- 12 books → ₹360
- 1 book → ₹30
- 18 books → ₹540
Example 3: Inverse Proportion
20 workers complete a job in 15 days. How many days will 25 workers take?
- 20 × 15 = 25 × ?
- 300 = 25 × ?
- ? = 12 days
Example 4: Percentage Increase
A population grew from 50,000 to 55,000. Find % increase.
- Increase = 5,000
- % increase = (5000/50000) × 100 = 10%
Example 5: Profit %
SP = ₹920, CP = ₹800. Find profit %.
- Profit = 120
- Profit % = (120/800) × 100 = 15%
Example 6: Discount and Profit
MP = ₹1000, discount = 20%, profit = 10%. Find CP.
- Discount = 200, SP = 800
- CP = SP / (1 + 10/100) = 800/1.1 ≈ ₹727.27
Example 7: Simple Interest
P = ₹15,000, R = 8% p.a., T = 5 years. Find SI and A.
- SI = (15000 × 8 × 5) / 100 = ₹6,000
- A = ₹21,000
Example 8: Find Time
P = ₹4000 becomes ₹4960 at R = 6% per annum. Find T.
- SI = 4960 − 4000 = ₹960
- T = (SI × 100) / (P × R) = (960 × 100) / (4000 × 6) = 4 years
11. Common Mistakes
-
Confusing direct and inverse proportion
- Direct: more of one → more of other (y = kx)
- Inverse: more of one → less of other (xy = constant)
-
Calculating % on SP instead of CP
- Profit % and Loss % are ALWAYS on CP
- Discount % is on MP
-
Forgetting to convert percentage
- 5% means 5/100 = 0.05 (not 5)
-
Misreading 'per annum'
- 'p.a.' means PER YEAR. For 6 months, use T = 0.5 years.
-
Wrong formula for SI
- SI = PRT/100 (not PRT)
-
Adding percentages on different bases
- 20% increase followed by 20% decrease is NOT 0% change
- Original 100 → 120 (after +20%) → 96 (after −20%) = 4% net decrease
12. Real-World Applications
Shopping
- Discount calculations
- Bulk buying (unitary method)
- Comparing prices
Salary and Taxes
- Income tax (percentage of salary)
- GST (added to MRP)
- Annual increments (percentage increase)
Banking
- Simple interest on savings
- Personal loans (rate per annum)
- Fixed deposits
Cooking
- Scaling recipes (direct proportion)
- Converting units (cups to grams)
Travel
- Speed-distance-time (direct/inverse)
- Currency conversion
Election Polling
- Percentage of votes
- Margin calculations
Cricket Statistics
- Strike rate (runs per 100 balls)
- Run rate (runs per over)
- Required run rate
13. Tips for Mastery
For Ratios
- Always reduce to lowest terms
- Use LCM for comparison
For Proportions
- Cross-multiplication is your friend
- Set up: "First ratio = Second ratio"
For Direct/Inverse
- Read the problem CAREFULLY
- Ask: "If first increases, does second increase (direct) or decrease (inverse)?"
For Percentages
- 1% = 1/100 = 0.01
- 10% = 1/10 = 0.1
- 50% = 1/2 = 0.5
- 25% = 1/4 = 0.25
For Profit/Loss
- ALWAYS calculate on CP
- For discount, calculate on MP
For Simple Interest
- Memorise SI = PRT/100
- Time in YEARS
14. Conclusion
'Proportional Reasoning' is the most practical chapter in your math course. The skills you learn here will be used:
- Every time you shop
- Every time you check a salary
- Every time you compare prices
- Every time you read a news report with percentages
Master ratios, proportions, percentages, profit/loss, and simple interest. These are not just exam topics — they are life skills.
Two Part 2 chapters carry these ideas forward. Fractions in Disguise (Part 2, Chapter 1) develops percentage into profit, loss, discount and compound interest. Proportional Reasoning-2 (Part 2, Chapter 3) extends ratio to three or more terms, adds map scales and pie charts, and introduces inverse proportion. The foundation built here carries you through both.
