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ASVAB · Ratios, Proportions, and Rates

A photograph that is 4 inches by 6 inches is enlarged so the shorter side becomes 10 inches. What is the new length of the longer side, keeping the same proportions?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

15 inches

  1. A 14 inches
  2. B 12 inches
  3. C 16 inches
  4. D 15 inches

Why this is the answer

Keeping the same proportions means the ratio of sides stays constant. Original ratio is 4:6. Set up a proportion with the new short side: 4/6 = 10/x. Cross-multiply: 4x = 60, so x = 15 inches. Proportional scaling problems are solved by matching corresponding sides in a ratio and cross-multiplying. The shorter side went from 4 to 10 (a factor of 2.5), so the longer side scales the same way: 6 × 2.5 = 15 inches. The enlarged photo's longer side is 15 inches.
Source: ASVAB AR, Proportional Scaling

Practice more questions

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About this topic: Ratios, Proportions, and Rates

Ratios, proportions and rates cover scale drawings, recipes, speed and unit prices. Almost every question reduces to setting two ratios equal and cross-multiplying — once you see that pattern the section becomes fast. This is one of 11 Arithmetic Reasoning questions on ratios, proportions, and rates, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our ASVAB exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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