Write the ratio 42 inches to 6 feet as a fraction in simplest form. Use pencil and paper. Explain why you get the same result whether you convert feet to inches

Question

Write the ratio 42 inches to 6 feet as a fraction in simplest form. Use pencil and paper. Explain why you get the same result whether you convert feet to inches

Answer 1

42 inches/6ft  Simplify: 7 in/1 ft.  But I don't think that is what the problem wants...

 

Instead, 

 

Change feet to inches:  6 feet x 12 in/ft = 72 inches, so ratio becomes 42 in/72 in

 

change inches to feet: 42 inches x 1 ft/12 inches = 3.5 ft, so ratio becomes 3.5 feet/6 feet

 

3.5 ft/ 6 feet times a conversion factor of 12/12 = 42/72.