Chapter

6
Proportions
359. The ratio of x to y is 5 to 12. If x is 45, what is the value of y?
(A) 38
(B) 52
(C) 60
(D) 84
(E) 108

360. If a vehicle is moving at a constant speed of 60 miles per hour, how

many miles will it travel in 1 hour and 20 minutes?
(A) 60
(B) 65
(C) 80
(D) 90
(E) 105

361. If M% of 135 is 54, then M =

(A) 2.5
(B) 4
(C) 25
(D) 40
(E) 81

362. In a large company, the ratio of full-time to part-time employees is 3:2.

If there are 800 total employees, how many are part-time?
(A) 260
(B) 320
(C) 400
(D) 480
(E) 530

❮ 115

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363. If the length of one side of a square is increased by 20%, then the perimeter
will increase by
(A) 5%
(B) 10%
(C) 20%
(D) 40%
(E) 80%

364. A rectangle has a width of 5 meters and a length of 14 meters. If a similar

rectangle has a width of 15 meters, what is its perimeter, in meters?
(A) 42
(B) 58
(C) 60
(D) 78
(E) 114

365. If 5% of x is y and 25% of y is z, then how many times larger than z is x?

(A) 4
(B) 30
(C) 80
(D) 95
(E) 125

366. A special garden design requires that the garden have three distinct square
sections whose areas follow the ratio 2 : 3 : 5. If such a garden is designed
to have a total area of 1550 square feet, then what would be the area of the
smallest section in square feet?
(A) 155
(B) 250
(C) 300
(D) 500
(E) 750

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367. In the following figure, triangles ABC and DEF are similar. What is the
value of x?
C

20

x
30 E
B
2
8
D

A
Note: Image not to scale

(A) 5.0
(B) 7.5
(C) 15.0
(D) 24.0
(E) 36.5

b
368. If a is inversely proportional to and a = 1 when b = 10, then what is the
2
value of a when b = 35?

1
(A)
7
1
(B)
5
2
(C)
9
9
(D)
4
7
(E)
2

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369. If 80% of x + 1 is 2, then x =

(A) 0.975
(B) 1.25
(C) 1.5
(D) 4
(E) 5.1

370. If m is directly proportional to n 2 and m = 2 when n = -1, then which of

the following expressions represents the value of m in terms of x when n =
x + 5?
(A) 2x + 5
(B) 2x + 10
(C) 2 x 2 + 10
(D) 2 x 2 + 10 x + 25
(E) 2 x 2 + 20 x + 50

371. Greg can read w words a minute. How many minutes will it take Greg to
read an n-page document if each page contains 500 words?
500n
(A)
w
500w
(B)
n
(C) 500nw
(D) 500(n + w)
(E) 500n + w
1 1
372. Which of the following represents % of ?
2 20
(A) 0.000025
(B) 0.00025
(C) 0.0025
(D) 0.025
(E) 0.25

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 Proportions ❮ 119

373. In an election with two parties, Party A won 54% of the votes. If Party B
received 874 votes, how many votes were cast in total?
(A) 400
(B) 472
(C) 1619
(D) 1900
(E) 2102

374. Each side of square A has a length of 3 meters, while each side of square B
has a length of 9 meters. What is the ratio of the area of square A to the
area of square B?
(A) 1:1
(B) 1:3
(C) 1:6
(D) 1:9
(E) 1:12

375. The ratio of the lengths of each of the sides of a triangle is 4:12:14. If the
shortest side has a length of 2 feet, what is the perimeter of the triangle in
feet?
(A) 15
(B) 24
(C) 34
(D) 57
(E) 68

376. In a college with 14,000 students, 490 are majoring in mathematics. What
percentage of the student body does the number of math majors represent?
(A) 0.0035%
(B) 0.035%
(C) 0.35%
(D) 3.5%
(E) 35%

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377. In the following figure, the ratio of the lengths of AB to BC of rectangle

ABCF is 2:3, and C is the midpoint of DF. If AF = FE, What is the area of
triangle DEF ?
D

B 18 C

A F E

(A) 12
(B) 28
(C) 54
(D) 108
(E) 216

378. In the following figure, rectangles ABCD and EFGD are similar. What is
the perimeter of EFGD?
B 30 C

F 3
10 G

A E D
Note: Image not to scale

(A) 4
(B) 8
(C) 26
(D) 30
(E) 40

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 Proportions ❮ 121

379. If x is inversely proportional to y and x = 12 when y = 48, then what is the

value of x when y = 12?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 12
(E) 14

380. If 80% of a number is 122, what is 40% of the number?

(A) 48.8
(B) 61.0
(C) 73.2
(D) 83.0
(E) 244.0

381. A factory’s quality assurance specialist can inspect 28 hard drives in 40 minutes.
How many minutes will it take the specialist to inspect 196 hard drives?
(A) 47
(B) 49
(C) 89
(D) 137
(E) 280

382. If the ratio of A to B is 3:8 and the ratio of B to C is 1:6, what is the ratio
of A to C ?
(A) 1:2
(B) 1:14
(C) 1:16
(D) 1:24
(E) 1:48

383. A $154.99 graphing calculator can be purchased with a coupon that gives a 15%
discount. What is the price of the calculator if it is purchased with the coupon?
(A) $23.25
(B) $68.47
(C) $131.74
(D) $139.99
(E) $152.67

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384. The length of a rectangle is 40% larger than its width. If the area of the
rectangle is 140 square feet, what is the width of the rectangle in feet?
(A) 10
(B) 22
(C) 35
(D) 56
(E) 64

385. In the following figure, triangles ABC and DEF are similar. Which of the
following expressions represents the area of DEF in terms of x and y?
E

A x C D 3x F

xy
(A)
2
3 xy
(B)
2
(C) 3xy
9 xy
(D)
2
(E) 6xy

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 Proportions ❮ 123

3
386. For x > 0, which of the following represents x % of ?
4
3x
(A)
40
3x
(B)
400
3
(C)
400x
30
(D)
4x
30 x
(E)
4

1 1
387. What is % of ?
4 4
(A) 0.000250
(B) 0.000625
(C) 0.0025
(D) 0.0050
(E) 1

388. The following table represents the percentages of employees in each of four
possible classifications at a certain company. If there are no other possible
classifications, what is the value of x?

Classification Percentage
Part-time 35%
Full-time, hourly 20%
Full-time, salary 24%
Full-time, salary and bonus x%

(A) 1
(B) 21
(C) 44
(D) 79
(E) 65

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125

389. If the ratio of x to y is 1:6, what is the difference between y and x when x =
12?
(A) 5
(B) 12
(C) 17
(D) 60
(E) 72

390. In the following figure, the ratio of x to y is 1:4. What is the ratio of the
area of the triangle with base x to the area of the triangle with base x + y?
B

A x y C

(A) 1:2
(B) 1:4
(C) 1:5
(D) 1:7
(E) Cannot be determined

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 Proportions ❮ 125

391. Rectangles ABCD and PQRS in the following figure are similar. What is
the value of x?
Q R

B C

16
4

A 13 D P x – 13 S
Note: Image not to scale

(A) 13
(B) 25
(C) 38
(D) 52
(E) 65

392. If 95% of 3x is 39.9, what is the value of x?

(A) 10
(B) 14
(C) 38
(D) 42
(E) 58

393. The circles in the following figure are centered at points O and P, respec-
AB
tively. If = 3, what is the ratio of the area of the circle centered at
CD
point O to the area of the circle centered at point P ?

A B C D
O P

(A) 3:1
(B) 3:2
(C) 6:1
(D) 9:1
(E) 9:2

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394. Suppose y 2 is inversely proportional to x and y 2 = 16 when x = 4. Which

of the following is the value of y 2 when x = 2?
(A) 4
(B) 21
(C) 4 2
(D) 8
(E) 32

395. The number representing the length of one side of a square is 20% as large as
the number representing its area. What is the perimeter of this square?
(A) 5
(B) 15
(C) 20
(D) 34
(E) 60

396. If the ratio of x to y is 2:5, and y is always 30% of z, then for all possible
x
nonzero values of x, y, and z, =
z
1
(A)
12
3
(B)
25
2
(C)
3
5
(D)
6
4
(E)
3
x
397. If × 280 = 112, then x% of 280 is
50
(A) 23
(B) 56
(C) 102
(D) 188
(E) 224

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 Proportions ❮ 127

398. The triangles in the following figure are similar. In terms of x, what is the
perimeter of triangle DEF ?
B

x E

80° 80° 80° 80°

A 18 C D 6 F
Note: Image not to scale

x
(A) +6
6
x
(B) +6
3
2x
(C) +6
3
(D) 2 x + 6
(E) 6 x + 6

399. A weather station reported that 90% of the days in a 30-day period
had measurable snowfall. How many of these days received measurable
snowfall?
(A) 3
(B) 12
(C) 18
(D) 27
(E) 29

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400. Triangle A and triangle B are equilateral triangles such that the ratio of the
length of one side of triangle A to the length of one side of triangle B is 6
to 7. If the perimeter of triangle A is 9, what is the length of a single side
of triangle B?
2
(A)
3
7
(B)
2
(C) 12
(D) 18
(E) 21
x 1
401. In the following figure, ABCD is a rectangle such that = . If the area of
y 5
ABPQ is 12, what is the area of ABCD?
B P C

A x Q y D

(A) 32
(B) 56
(C) 60
(D) 72
(E) 112

402. The ratio of x to y is 2 to 3. If the sum of x and y is 125, what is the value
of x?
(A) 15
(B) 25
(C) 50
(D) 75
(E) 100

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 Proportions ❮ 129

1
403. Which of the following represents 0.2% of ?
5
1
(A)
25, 000
1
(B)
2500
1
(C)
250
1
(D)
25
1
(E)
10
404. For any circle with radius r > 0, what is the ratio of the length of its radius
to its area?
(A) 1: π
(B) 1 : 2π
(C) 1: πr
(D) 1 : 2πr
(E) 1 : πr 2

405. Every student enrolled in a science course is either a physics major or a

biology major. If the ratio of physics majors to biology majors is 3 to 1
and there are 21 physics majors enrolled, how many biology majors are
enrolled in the course?
(A) 7
(B) 15
(C) 23
(D) 45
(E) 63

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131

1
406. Suppose that m is inversely proportional to n and that m = when n = 6.
2
2
If n = , what is the value of m?
3
1
(A)
6
(B) 2
(C) 3
9
(D)
2
(E) 6

407. The value of a positive number x is 30% of the value of a positive number
y. If 20% of y is 8, what is the value of x?
(A) 10
(B) 12
(C) 16
(D) 40
(E) 70
1
408. If y is directly proportional to x and if y = 6 when x = , then which of the
4
following equations describes the relationship between x and y?
1
(A) y = x
4
3
(B) y = x
2
23
(C) y = x
4
(D) y = 6 x
(E) y = 24 x

409. A rectangle has sides of length x and x + 1, where x is a positive number. If

the area of the rectangle is 12, then which of the following is equivalent to
the ratio of x to x + 1?
(A) 1:6
(B) 1:4
(C) 1:3
(D) 2:3
(E) 3:4

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 Proportions ❮ 131

410. If the length of one side of a square is 28% of 50, then the area of the
square is equal to
(A) 70
(B) 84
(C) 140
(D) 196
(E) 289

411. If q% of 30 is 21, then q =

(A) 50
(B) 60
(C) 70
(D) 80
(E) 90

412. This week, the price of a plane ticket is $436.00. Over the next three
weeks, suppose the price of the ticket rises 5% in the first week, falls 10%
the next week, and then rises 20% in the third week. To the nearest cent,
what is the cost of the plane ticket in 3 weeks?
(A) $412.02
(B) $457.80
(C) $494.42
(D) $501.40
(E) $523.20

413. Of 600 items in a storage closet, 40% are pens or pencils, 10% are first-aid
items, and 5% are notebooks. How many items in the storage closet have
not been described?
(A) 45
(B) 60
(C) 240
(D) 270
(E) 300

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414. A number a is four times as large as half of a number b. If a and b are non-
zero, what percent of a is b?
(A) 20%
(B) 25%
(C) 50%
(D) 100%
(E) 400%

415. A particle can move along the x-axis of the (x, y) coordinate plane at the
1
rate of 3 units every hour. If the particle begins at the origin and moves
2
1
in the positive x direction, at what point will it be in 2 hours?
4
9 
(A)  , 0
8 
 27 
(B)  , 0
 8 
9 
(C)  , 0
2 
 27 
(D)  , 0
 4 
 27 
(E)  , 0
 2 
416. In the following figure, the ratio of x to y is 1:4. What is the value of x?

—
y 2√17

(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 8
(D) 10
(E) 13

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 Proportions ❮ 133

417. Points A, B, and C in the following figure are collinear. If the ratio of m to
n is 2:3, what is the value of n in degrees?

n° m°
A B C

(A) 36
(B) 94
(C) 108
(D) 120
(E) 170
m 4 n 4 m
418. If, for nonzero values of m, n, and x, = and = , then =
n 9 x 3 x
1
(A)
27
1
(B)
3
16
(C)
27
31
(D)
12
16
(E)
3

2 1
419. If % of x is 10, then % of x must equal
5 5
(A) 5
(B) 10
(C) 20
(D) 25
(E) 30

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 134 ❯ McGraw-Hill’s 500 ACT Math Questions

420. Every 6 minutes, a red LED flashes to indicate that a machine is operating
correctly. If the machine operates correctly for 800 minutes, how many
times will the LED flash?
(A) 133
(B) 134
(C) 135
(D) 136
(E) 137

421. If y is inversely proportional to the square root of x and if y has a value of

18 when x is 4, what is the value of y when x is 12?
3
(A)
9
6
(B)
9
3
(C)
3
(D) 3 2
(E) 6 3

422. A circle has a diameter of length d and an area of A. If the diameter of the
circle is tripled, the area of the new circle is B. How many times larger
than A is B?
(A) 3
(B) 6
(C) 9
(D) 12
(E) 18

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 Proportions ❮ 135

423. In the following figure, AC = CE = 4, C is the midpoint of BD, and ABDE

is a rectangle. What is the ratio of the area of triangle ACE to the area of
triangle ABC ?
B C D

A 2 E

(A) 2:1
(B) 4:1
(C) 8:1
(D) 10:1
(E) 15:1
1 x 1
424. If % of is , then x =
2 14 4
(A) 7
(B) 70
(C) 700
(D) 7000
(E) 70,000

425. A tenant’s monthly rent of $675 will be increased by 3% every year. To

the nearest cent, what will be the tenant’s monthly rent in 3 years?
(A) $695.25
(B) $735.75
(C) $737.59
(D) $781.02
(E) $794.66

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2x 4
426. If = , then how many times larger than x is y?
y 7
7
(A)
4
7
(B)
2
(C) 4
(D) 14
(E) 28

427. A student’s parking pass costs $45 per semester this year but last year cost
only $38 per semester. To the nearest tenth of a percent, by what percent-
age has the price of a parking pass increased?
(A) 15.6%
(B) 18.4%
(C) 24.3%
(D) 28.6%
(E) 31.1%

428. For the first two hours he is at work, Harrison files 14 folders every hour.
For the remainder of his seven-hour workday, he files 22 folders every
hour. How many folders did Harrison file over the entire day?
(A) 28
(B) 98
(C) 138
(D) 182
(E) 308

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