NATIONAL SCHOOL OF COMMERCIAL SCIENCES

SAN PEDRO SACATEPÉQUEZ, SAN MARCOS

GRADE: FOURTH ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN
SECTION: “D”
AREA: COMMERCIAL MATHEMATICS
P.E.M. LUCAS DE JESÚS GONZÁLEZ CASTAÑÓN

WORK GUIDE
NOTE: IN THE NOTEBOOK, COPY LITERALLY AND SOLVE THE
EXERCISES
RULE OF THREE. DESCRIPTION AND GENERALITIES.

The rule of three is an operation that aims to find the fourth term of a proportion.
when three are known.
The rule of three can be SIMPLE OR COMPOUND.

It is simple when only two magnitudes are involved and it is composite when
three or more magnitudes are involved.

ASSUMPTION AND QUESTION

In a rule of three, the assumption is made up of the data from the part of the problem that is already
know and ask for the data of the part of the problem that contains the unknown.

METHODS OF RESOLUTION
The rule of three can be solved by three methods: 1) Method of reducing to one unit. 2)
Method of proportions. 3) Practical method.

GENERAL RULE FOR SOLVING ANY PROBLEM OF THREE RULES

The assumption and the question are written. Once this is done, each of the magnitudes is compared with the
unknown (assuming the others do not vary), to see if they are direct or inverse
proportional with the unknown. To the magnitudes that are directly proportional to the
An unknown is placed below a plus sign (+) and above a minus sign (-) and to the magnitudes that are
inversely proportional with the unknown, a sign (-) is written below and a sign (+) above.
The value of the unknown x will be equal to the known value of the same kind (to which it is always assigned.
write the plus sign) multiplying by all the amounts that carry the plus sign, starting this
product of the quantities that bear the sign (-)

supposed + +
DIRECT QUESTION INVERSE
question

IS DIRECT WHEN IT IS INVERSE WHEN

( +, - )
( +, + )
( -, + )
( -, - )
SIMPLE DIRECT PROPORTION RULE

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES:

If 5 pounds of sugar cost Q. 9.15, how much will 16 pounds of sugar cost?
_ +
Assumption: 5 pounds------------------------------ Q. 9.15
Question: 16 pounds X days
+
Comparison: The more pounds of sugar, the higher the price of sugar (directly related magnitudes)
proportional) therefore, on the magnitude pounds, the negative sign is placed and in the part of
below the positive sign, while above the variable the positive sign is always placed.

Now we multiply the quantities that have a positive sign and divide it by the quantities.
negative sign.
- +
5 9.15 9.15x16 146
WE FORM THE PROPORTION = dondex= = =29.2
16 x 5 6
+

The 16 pounds cost Q29.2

If 12 compact discs cost $600, how much will 18 cost?

Solution:
+
Assumption: 12 discs---------------------cost $600
Question: 18 discs---------------------cost x
+

The quantities are directly proportional, as increasing the number of discs the
The price also increases. A proportion is formed between the reasons of the assumption and the question.

12,600 ( 600)(18) 10800

WE FORM THE PROPORTION = where x= = =900
18 x 12 12

Therefore, 18 compact discs cost $900

ACTIVITY

INSTRUCTIONS: Solve the following problems in your notebook and on bond paper.
letter size.

If there are 1.09 yards in a meter. How many meters are there in 68 yards? (R 62.385 m.)
2 employees earn Q. 116.00 daily in a company. How much will be paid to 18 employees?
of equal category? (R1044)
In 15 days a worker earns Q. 630.00. How much will he earn in 25 days? (Q1,050)
4) If three digital cameras cost Q. 2697.00, how much will 12 cameras cost? (R10,788)
5) If three VCRs cost Q. 654.00, how much will 5 VCRs cost? (R1090)
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE:
It has been planned that a wall will be built by 24 men in 18 days; however, only
He managed to hire 12 men, how many days will it take them to build it?

+ +
Assumption: 24 men--------------------- 18 days
Question: 12 men--------------------- x

Analysis: The quantities are inversely proportional, since decreasing the number of
men, the hired ones will take more days to build it. (Fewer men will take more days to...
build the wall

The ratios are formed between the quantities.

24
Ratio of the number of men:
12

18
Ratio between the number of Days:
x

Any of the ratios is inverted and set equal to the other, that is:

24x 24x18 432

forming proportions = where x= = =36
12 18 12 12

Therefore, 12 men build the wall in 36 days.

1.) If 3 employees finish a job in 10 hours, how many hours will it take them to finish the same job?
12 employees? (R 2.5 hours)

PLANTING AND REASONING: It is evident that the more employees there are, the fewer will be needed.
time; so the magnitudes vary inversely. Without doing the calculation, it can be said that
they will do it in a quarter of the time, since there are 4 times more employees.

+ +
Assumption: 3 empleados------------------------------ 10 horas
Question: 12 employees------------------------------ X hours
-

3 x (3)(10) 30
FORMAMOS LA PROPORCIÓN = where x= = =2.5
12 10 12 12

Both employees finish the work in two and a half hours.

ACTIVITY
INSTRUCTIONS: Solve the following problems in your notebook.
1) 7 men complete a work in 14 days. How many days could 8 men complete the work in?
 4) 8 men paint a building in 24 days. How many days could they paint that same building?
12 men? (R 16 days)
A garrison of 1300 men has provisions for 4 months (30-day months); if it is desired
that the supplies last for 10 more days and without changing the ration for each one, how many men
Will they need to be cut back? (R 100 men) (1300 - 1200 = 100 men need to be cut back)

MORE EXERCISES TO PRACTICE

The price of 25 cans of oil is $248, how many cans can be bought with $1,240?
2. Liam listens to the radio for 30 minutes, during which there are 7 minutes of advertisements.
commercials; if you listen to the radio for 120 minutes, how many minutes of ads will you listen to?
3. During 70 days of work, Ana earned $3,500. How much would she earn if she worked 12 more days?
4. A tap left open for 6 hours a day for 7 days discharged 6,120 liters of water, how many liters
how much will it yield over 14 days if opened 4 hours daily?
5. A car uses 9 liters of gasoline every 120 km. If there are 6 liters left in the tank, how many
How many kilometers can you travel?
In a book of 80 pages, each has 35 lines, how many pages will the same book have if in
Is 40 lines placed in each one?
A warehouse is filled with 3,500 bags of 6 kg of potatoes each and another of the same capacity.
It is filled with 5 kg bags, how many bags fit in the second warehouse?
8. A lumberjack takes 8 seconds to divide a log of a certain size into 4 parts, how much time
How long will it take to divide a trunk like that into 5 parts?
9. If a car took 9 hours for a journey of 750 kilometers, how much time will it take to
travel 2,250 kilometers if your speed is constant?
10. Teresa has several 18 kg bags of flour in her store and is going to sell each one for $108, but
as no one wants to buy by the sack, he decides to sell it by the kilo. His first customer asked for 4 kg, now
She wants to know how much she should charge him.
11. Don Arturo has a pastry shop and knows that to make a strawberry cake for 8 people
uses 2 kg of sugar, what amount of sugar will he use if he is asked for a cake, also with strawberries,
What is the range for 24 people?
12. Ana, Fabián, and Liam have gone to buy CDs; Ana bought 2 of grupera music;
Fabián bought 3 of alternative rock and Liam bought 5 of heavy metal. If a total of $1,620 was paid and all
they cost the same, how much should each one pay?
13. The value of 25 m2 of tiles is $3,125. How many m2 can be bought with $15,625?
If 9 jars cost $450, how many jars can be bought with $7,200?
15. 40 kg of candy were bought to be distributed equally among 120 children. How many
How many kilograms will be needed for a group of 90 small ones?
16. A bricklayer earns $1,500 monthly. How much does he receive for 20 days?
17. Fernando, Josué, and Martín were paid for solving a guide of multiple calculus problems.
variables $975; Fernando trabajó 6 horas, Josué 4 horas y Martín 3 horas, ¿cuánto recibirá cada uno
per hour of work?
18. A minibus charges a person $17.50 for a distance of 21 kilometers, how much
Will another person pay, whose destination is 51 kilometers away?
A pool fills in 10 hours with a tap that delivers 120 liters of water per minute,
How many minutes will it take to fill up if this tap throws out 80 liters of the liquid?
20. A group of 45 CONAMAT students hires a bus to go to an event and calculates
that each one must pay $50; finally only 30 students attend, how much should each pay
one?

Note: below are the answers; you just need to find them by doing the calculations.
COMPOUND RULE OF THREE: The compound rule of three is when more than
four quantities (forming 3, 4, 5, 6, ….. ratios)

Rule of Three Directly Composed:

Illustrated Example:
5 boxes of oil with 18 gallons cost Q960, how much does 9 gallons cost with 20 gallons?

Solution The ratios are formed between the quantities.

If the number of boxes decreases, the price decreases, therefore it is a direct proportion.
If the number of gallons increases, the price increases, therefore it is a direct proportion.

- - +
Assumption: 15 boxes 18 gallons Q960
Question: 9 boxes 20 gallons X
Direct Direct
+ +

15 18 the multiplicand is inverted because they are direct and the reason 960
The reasons y they match with the product.
9 20 x
18 960
¿)( ¿=
20 x
(960)(9)(20) 172800
So, x= = =640
(15)(18) 270

Therefore, 9 boxes of 20 gallons cost Q640.00

Solve using the example as a basis:

If a contractor has paid Q. 4,400.00 to 10 employees who have worked for 20 days. How much would it have been?
paid to 15 employees who worked only 15 days? (R Q4950)

Rule of Three Composed and Inverse:

A daycare with 250 children provides 4 meals daily to each little one during
18 days. If the population increases to 50 children, how many days will the food last if it is reduced to
3 daily servings?

Solution: The ratios between the quantities are formed.

The more children there are, the food lasts fewer days, therefore the proportion is inverse.
The fewer servings, the longer the food lasts, so the proportion is inverse.

+ + +
Assumed: 250 children 4 servings 18 days
Question: 300 children 3 servings X days
Inverse Inverse
- -

250 4 18
The reasons and they are divided and multiplied, the they equal with the product.
reason
300 3 x
Solve it, based on the example
If 9 workers with 20 looms finish a job in 20 days. 3 workers with 30 looms. How many days?
What days will they finish? (R 40 days)

Rule of Three Composed and Mixed:

Illustrative Example:
It is estimated that to build a wall of 600 m in 18 days, working 8 hours a day, one must
They need 12 men, how many days will it take 8 men working 6 hours a day to build it?
a 400 m wall?

+ + - +
Supposed: 12 men 8 hours 600 18 days
Question: 8 men 6 hours 400 X days
Inverse inverse Direct
- - +

8 6 600 18
( )( )(
12 8 400 )
=
x
.

(18)(12)(8)(400) 691200
Where, x= = =24
(8)(6)(600) 28800

Therefore, 8 men will take 24 days working 6 hours a day.

SOLVE BASED ON THE EXAMPLE:

1.) If 10 workers make 1,000 meters of fabric in 8 days. How many days do 4 workers need to
make 2,000 meters of the same fabric? (R 40 days)

EXERCISES FOR PRACTICE

INSTRUCTIONS: solve the following problems in THE NOTEBOOK.

8 men working 9 hours a day have completed 200 meters of a project in 9 days. How many
How many days do 10 men need, working 7 hours a day, to make 70 meters of the same?
work? (R 3.24 days)
6 men have dug a trench 50 meters long, 4 meters wide, and 2 meters deep in 20 days.
meters deep. How many days will it take to dig another trench that is 35 meters long and 3 meters wide?
And 3 of depth 4 men? (R 23,625 days)
3) 6 men paint a mural in 3 days, which dimensions are 15 meters long, 4 meters
width and 2 in height, working 4 hours daily; if double the number of men is used.
for 4 days to paint another mural 10 meters long, 6 meters wide, and 2 meters of
height. How many hours a day will they have to work? (R 1.50 h/d)
4) Andrea reads a 500-page book in 20 days and reads 1 hour daily, how many minutes should she read?
How many pages must be read daily in order to read an 800-page book in 15 days under the same conditions?
min)
5) 2. Alejandro's father hired 15 workers who, by working 40 days for 10 hours
daily, they built a pool in their house with a capacity for 80,000 liters of water; if
 7) 4. The crew of a ship consists of the captain, 5 assistants, and 6 researchers. The captain
schedule the rations of water at a rate of 8 liters per day for the entire crew on a trip
of 6 days, but when it was time to sail, 2 of the researchers decided to stay. Because of this
It is decided that the trip will last 2 more days, what should the daily water ration be? (R 2 liters)
8) 5. If 24 pizza delivery motorcycles spend $27,360 on gasoline over 30 days
Working 8 hours a day, how much money should be paid for gasoline for 18?
motorcycles that work 10 hours a day for 6 months? (considering months of 30 days).
(R 273600)

1. 128 min 4. 7.2 litros 2. 50 días 5. $273 600 3. 150 pares