Concept of Ratios and Rates

Question

The ratio of students who walk home from school to the students who ride the bus home is 2 : 7.

The number of bus riders is how many times the number of students who walk home?

Answer 1

Since the ratio is 2:7, that means for ever 2 students who walk home, 7 students ride the bus home. How many times greater is 7 than 2? Simply divide 7/2 to get 3.5. So the number of bus riders is 3.5 times the number of students who walk home. Any pair of numbers that honors the ratio would yield the same results. For example, 4 walkers and 14 "bussers" or 200 walkers and 700 "bussers."