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?

Correct answer

15 inches

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