There are 6 times as many females as males on the maths course at university. What fraction of the course are female? Give your answer in its simplest form.

Answer 1

If the variable "f" represents the number of females in the maths course, then the number of males in the maths course is "6f". Thus, the total number of students in the maths course is the females plus the males, or "f+6f". The fraction of the course that is female is found by dividing the number of females by the total number of students: (f)/(f+6f) = f/7f. From here, we can cancel the f from the top and bottom and get "1/7" is the fraction of the course that is female.