Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Mathematics Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

In a direct proportion between two quantities, both quantities maintain a consistent ratio to each other. This means that as one quantity increases, the other quantity also increases in a way that their ratio remains the same. For example, if you consider the relationship between the number of hours worked and the pay earned, if you double the hours worked, the pay also doubles, thereby maintaining a consistent ratio.

This characteristic clearly distinguishes direct proportion from other relationships. In contrast, if one quantity increases while the other decreases, it indicates an inverse relationship. Randomness in the connection between two quantities suggests there is no defined relationship, while the dependency on the time variable often pertains to different kinds of relationships that are not strictly proportional. Thus, maintaining a consistent ratio is fundamental to understanding direct proportions, making it the correct choice.