How can knowing how to represent proportional relationships in different ways be useful to solving problems

  appropriately writing the proportion can reduce or eliminate steps required to solve it

Step-by-step explanation:

The proportion ...

is equivalent to the equation obtained by "cross-multiplying:"

  AD = BC

This equation can be written as proportions in 3 other ways:

  Effectively, the proportion can be written upside-down and sideways, as long as the corresponding parts are kept in the same order.

I find this most useful to ...

  a) put the unknown quantity in the numerator

  b) give that unknown quantity a denominator of 1, if possible.

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The usual method recommended for solving proportions is to form the cross-product, as above, then divide by the coefficient of the variable. If the variable is already in the numerator, you can simply multiply the proportion by its denominator.

Example:

  x/4 = 3/2

Usual method:

  2x = 4·3

  x = 12/2 = 6

Multiplying by the denominator:

  x = 4(3/2) = 12/2 = 6 . . . . . . saves the "cross product" step

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Example 2:

  x/4 = 1/2 . . . . we note that "1" is "sideways" from x, so we can rewrite the proportion as ...

  x/1 = 4/2 . . . . . . written with 1 in the denominator

  x = 2 . . . . simplify

Of course, this is the same answer you would get by multiplying by the denominator, 4.

The point here is that if you have a choice when you write the initial proportion, you can make the choice to write it with x in the numerator and 1 in the denominator.