Direct Proportion - GCSE Maths Definition

Reviewed by: Dan Finlay

Published

Direct proportion is a relationship between two values where they both increase or decrease at the same rate. In other words, if one value doubles, the other one will also double, and if one is reduced by half, the other follows. This happens when the ratio between the two values stays constant.

For example, if you are buying apples and each apple costs 50 pence, the total cost is directly proportional to the number of apples you buy. If you buy 1 apple, it costs 50 pence; if you buy 2 apples, they cost 100 pence, and so on. In a graph of direct proportion, the line will always pass through the origin (0,0) and be straight, showing the constant rate of change.

Examiner-written GCSE Maths revision resources that improve your grades 2x

  • Written by expert teachers and examiners
  • Aligned to exam specifications
  • Everything you need to know, and nothing you don’t
GCSE Maths revision resources

Share this article

Dan Finlay

Reviewer: Dan Finlay

Expertise: Maths Lead

Dan graduated from the University of Oxford with a First class degree in mathematics. As well as teaching maths for over 8 years, Dan has marked a range of exams for Edexcel, tutored students and taught A Level Accounting. Dan has a keen interest in statistics and probability and their real-life applications.

The examiner written revision resources that improve your grades 2x.

Join now