# Thread: Linear vs. Proportional relationships

1. ## Linear vs. Proportional relationships

So I have an exam tomorrow on linear and proportional relationships and I'm going through the study sheet and I'm still confused on the difference between linear and proportional relationships. Can someone explain this to me?

The practice questions that I don't know are (yes...it's very elementary)

- What is the relationship between the length of a square and the area of a square (options are linear, proportional, or neither)?
- What is the relationship between the E and m in the equation E=mc2?
- What is the relationship between the elevation at sea level and an elevator?

These are just a few of the practice problems and if I can answers these, i should do well on the proportions/linear part of the exam. Thanks ahead of time.

2. The practice questions that I don't know are (yes...it's very elementary)

- What is the relationship between the length of a square and the area of a square (options are linear, proportional, or neither)?
The area of two squares is proportional to the squares of their sides. For example, square A has side = 2 and area 4; square B has side 3 and area 9.
$\frac{2^2}{3^2} = \frac{4}{9}$

- What is the relationship between the E and m in the equation E=mc2?
E varies directly as $c^2$
E is directly proportional to m; e increases as m increases.

- What is the relationship between the elevation at sea level and an elevator?

None that I know of.

These are just a few of the practice problems and if I can answers these, i should do well on the proportions/linear part of the exam. Thanks ahead of time.[/quote]