95.4k views
3 votes
Samuel says that his sister’s age is proportional to his brother’s age. Is Samuel Correct? Explain.

A) Yes, because age proportionality always holds true in families.
B) No, age proportionality is not a guaranteed relationship in families.

User Knotito
by
7.7k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

Samuel is incorrect as age proportionality is not a consistent or guaranteed relationship in families since the ratio of ages changes over time, unlike height and weight which typically increase together, or block heights where a proportional relationship can be clearly defined.

Step-by-step explanation:

Samuel's statement that his sister’s age is proportional to his brother’s age could be misleading. Age proportionality implies that there is a consistent ratio or relationship between two ages. For instance, if Samuel's brother is 10 years old and his sister is 5 years old, their ages have a 2:1 proportion. However, as they both grow older, the age difference remains constant but the ratio of their ages changes, indicating that while there might be a linear relationship in the number of years they differ in age, the ratio (and thus proportionality) alters over time. Therefore, the answer is B) No, because age proportionality is not a guaranteed relationship in families. Proportionality often refers to quantities that change at the same rate, but with age, even if siblings are a certain number of years apart, that doesn't mean their ages will always hold a specific proportional relationship as they grow. Consider the example regarding height and weight to illustrate a proportional relationship: Height and weight are positively correlated. This means that usually, as height increases, typically weight increases as well (Option D). This scenario showcases a proper use of proportionality when there is evidence of a consistent increase in one variable as another increases. Another example using block heights shows a direct proportionality: The change in height is proportional to the original height. In this case, if the original height of Block B is twice that of Block A, it's accurate to say that the change in the height of Block B is also twice that of Block A, signifying a direct proportional relationship.

User Rodolfo Luna
by
7.8k points