proportion question

Question

Professor Schaben has a ratio of passing students to failing students of 5 to 4. One semester, she had a total of 216 students. Use a proportion to show many students passed and how many failed. Write your answer in a complete sentence.

Answer 1

Let x represent one student. Then 5x represents the number of passing students and 4x represents the number of failing students. An equation can be written: 5x + 4x = 216. Solving this equation, x = 24. Therefore, one hundred twenty (or 5*24) students passed; and 96 (4*24) students failed Professor Schaben's class during the semester.