7th Grade Module 1

RATIOS &
PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Topic: B

Unit Rate & Constant of Proportionality

(7.RP.A.2b, 7.RP.A.2c, 7.RP.A.2d, 7.EE.B.4a)
LESSON 7:
UNIT RATE AS THE CONSTANT OF
PROPORTIONALITY

Student Outcomes
Students identify the same value relating the measures of x
and the measures of y in a proportional relationship as the
constant of proportionality and recognize it as the unit rate in
the context of a given situation.
Students find and interpret the constant of proportionality
within the contexts of problems
VOCABULARY (MODULE 1)
Review Terminology New Terminology
Ratio Constant of Proportionality
Equivalent Ratio One-to-One
Ratio Table Correspondence between
Rate two figures in the plane
Unit Rate Proportional Relationship
Coordinate Plane Proportional to:
Origin Scale Drawing
Scale Factor
NATIONAL FOREST DEER POPULATION
IN DANGER?

Wildlife conservationists are concerned that the

deer population might not be constant across the
National Forest. The scientists found that there
were 144 deer in a 16-square-mile area of the forest.
In another part of the forest, conservationists
counted 117 deer in a 13-squre-mile area. Yet a
third conservationists counted 216 deer in a 24-
square-mile plot of the forest. Do Conservationists
need to be worried?
Why does it matter if the deer population
is not constant in a certain area of the
National Forest?

What is the population density of deer

per square mile? (how can we do this)

When we find the number o deer per 1

square mile, what is it called?
LETS MAKE A CHART TO ORGANIZE OUR
DATA:
Square Number of Y
Miles Deer
X Y X
16 144

13 117

24 216

Y
Is our X for each situation the same? What is this
called?

What does it mean when it is the same?

We can add 1 more row what might we put in

that row? (hint: unit rate)
The unit rate of deer per 1 square mile is ________________

The Constant of Proportionality: K = _________

Y
Use the unit rate of deer per square mile (or ) to determine how
X
many deer there are for every 207 square miles .

Use the unit rate to determine the number of square

miles in which you would find 486 deer? How would we
do this?
VOCABULARY REVIEW:

Variable a symbol(such as a letter) that is a placeholder for a number.

Constant of Proportionality The number that describes the

relationship between measures x and y of two types of quantities. Is the
same thing happening to x to get y .. In every situation.

Y = KX

In the deer problem, we are looking for the number of

deer per square mile. So the number of square miles is
defined as x and the number of deer is y. The unit rate
of deer per square mile is 9 deer per 1 square mile. The
constant of proportionality, k, is 9.

y = 9x
EXAMPLE 2:

Brandon came home from school and informed his mother

that he had volunteered to make cookies for his entire
grade level. He needs 3 cookies for each of the 96 students
in the 7th grade. Unfortunately, he needs the cookies the
very next day! Brandon and his mother determined that
they can fit 36 cookies on two cookie sheets.

Is the number of cookies proportional to the number of

cookie sheets used in baking? Create a table that shows
data for the number of sheets needed for the total number
of cookies baked.
 Number of Number of Y
Cookie Sheets Cookies
X
Baked

The unit rate of

Y is _______________
X
Constant of Proportionality: K=

Explain the meaning of the constant of proportionality.

It takes 2 hours to bake 8 sheets of cookies. If Brandon and his

mother start at 4:00 p.m., when will they finish baking the cookies?

How many cookies do they need per student? How many

students are there? How many cookies on each sheet?
How many sheets will they need?
EXAMPLE 3:
FRENCH CLASS COOKING:
Suzette and Margo want to prepare crepes for all of the
students in their French class. A recipe makes 20 crepes with a
certain amount of flour, milk and 2 eggs. The girls already
know they have plenty of flour and milk to make 50 crepes, but
they need to determine the number of eggs they will need for
the recipe because they are not sure they have enough.

A. Considering the amount of eggs necessary to makes the

crepes, what is the constant of proportionality? Hint (eggs to
crepes)

B. What does the constant of proportionality mean in the

contest of this problem?

C. How many eggs are needed to make 50 crepes?

PROBLEM SET 1-4