can you please help me with ratios ?

Question

I NEED HELP WITH RATIOS BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY HARD TO ME I DONT GET RATIOS AT ALL THEY CONFUSE ME ALOT  AND MY TEACHER TRYING TO TEACH ME IS NO HELP AND BTW IM IN 6TH GRADE

Answer 1

A ratio is the comparison of two quantities by division. Most often it is expressed in English similarly to,"the ratio of boys to girls is 3 to 5, or 3 : 5, or 3/5."

A ratio does give an exact number. In the example of the boys and girls it only says that for every three boys there are five girls. It could be 3 boys and 5 girls as well as 300 boys and 500 girls.

Extending the example, let's say the ratio of boys to girls is in a class of 40 students. The question could be "How many girls are in the class?"

We could just count them out:

boys    girls     total

  3         5         8

  3         5       16

  3         5       24

  3         5       32

  3         5       40

 15       25

 

Or we could do some arithmetic

40 / 8 (3 boys and 5 girls)

5

So 5 groups of boys (5 x 3) and 5 groups of girls (5 X 5)

 

 

Answer 2

A ratio compares "how many of one thing" to "how many of another thing".

For example, let's say there are 20 apples and 10 oranges.

The ratio of apples to oranges is 20 to 10.

We can simplify this as 2 to 1.

Let's look at it from both sides:
There are twice as many apples as oranges.
There are half as many oranges as apples.

(That's really saying the same thing.)

Let's use fractions:
apples/oranges = 20/10 = 2/1
oranges/apples = 10/20 = 1/2

Look how the same ratio can be written in different ways!
10/20 = 5/10 = 30/60 = 500/1000 = 50/100 = 1/2
Those are all the same ratio!

If a ratio has 100 in the denominator, it is a percent:
oranges to apples = 10/20 = 50/100 = 50%
apples to oranges = 20/10 = 200/100 = 200%

 

Ratios can show how things can be divided.  For example:

If there are 10 people and 5 bananas:

The ratio of bananas to people is 5/10 or 1/2.  If two people want a banana, they will need to split it in half.

Or you can say the ratio of people to bananas is 2 to 1.  There are twice as many people as bananas.  They need to share.

 

If we have two different ratios that are equivalent, we say they are proportional:

10 oranges / 20 apples = 5 bananas / 10 people

Both of them are in a ratio of 1/2 or 1 to 2

In this case, bananas are to people as apples are to oranges!

(because they are in the same proportion)

 

Hope it helps.  Let me know if you have any questions, and let's look at one of your ratio or proportion problems!

Answer 3

In general, a ratio is a division problem. You are comparing a number or variable to another number or variable. The first

 

variable is always the numerator and the second is the denominator. (A/B)=(A:B)=(A to B). In that example A is divided by

 

B. If A=2 and B=4 then the ratio is 2/4. To simplify it we divide each by the least common denominator. This would result

 

in the least common denominator of 2. We would then be able to convert it to 1/2. To convert this into a percent you would

 

cross multiply (x/100) with (1/2). This would result in 2x=100. We would then divide the 100 by 2. This would give us

 

x=50%. Like mark says, without a specific problem this might not help. But I hope it helps understand the underlying

 

concept.    Ex: 60/180=1/3 (least common denominator (LCD) of 60). (x/100) * (1/3)= (3x=100)= (x=100/3)= (x=33.33)

Answer 4

Ratios are the same as proportions.  When you have a proportion, it means that one quantity is equivalent to another.   That is how quantities relate to each other when compared.   An example of this is similar fractions.

 

1/2 is similar to 5/10.  They are not exactly the same fractions as written, but have the same value.  5/10 is reduced 1/2 because 5 is half of 10, just like 1 is half of 2.  Therefore,           1/2 = 5/10

 

In a proportion, one entity changes the same way as the other.  You will see ratios when it comes to rates and conversion factors.

 

For example,  12 inches = 1 foot.  This means that for every 12 inches, a foot is established.

 

60 seconds = 1 minute:  For every 60 seconds, a minute passes.

 

 

Do you understand ratios now?