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Ratio Formula:
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A ratio shows the relationship between two numbers. It tells us how much of one thing there is compared to another thing. For example, if you have 2 apples and 3 oranges, the ratio of apples to oranges is 2:3.
To calculate a simple ratio, use this formula:
Where:
Example: If you have 4 red marbles and 6 blue marbles, the ratio of red marbles to all marbles is 4 ÷ 10 = 0.4
Cooking: Recipes use ratios! If a recipe needs 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of sugar, the ratio of flour to sugar is 2:1.
Sports: If your team wins 3 games and loses 2 games, your win ratio is 3 ÷ 5 = 0.6
Classroom: If 15 students like math and 5 prefer reading, the ratio of math lovers to readers is 15 ÷ 20 = 0.75
• The golden ratio (about 1.618) appears often in nature and art
• Musical notes follow specific frequency ratios
• Your screen dimensions are a ratio of width to height
• Map scales use ratios to show real distances
• Mixing paint colors uses ratio calculations
Q1: What's the difference between a ratio and a fraction?
A: A ratio compares two numbers, while a fraction represents part of a whole. All fractions are ratios, but not all ratios are fractions.
Q2: Can a ratio be greater than 1?
A: Yes! If the part is bigger than the whole, the ratio will be greater than 1. For example, if you have 3 pizzas for 2 people, the pizza-to-person ratio is 1.5.
Q3: How do I simplify ratios?
A: Find the largest number that divides evenly into both numbers. For 8:12, both can be divided by 4 to get 2:3.
Q4: Where do we use ratios in daily life?
A: Cooking, shopping discounts, speed calculations, screen sizes, and comparing prices all use ratios!
Q5: Why are ratios important to learn?
A: Ratios help us understand relationships between things, make comparisons, and solve real-world problems from cooking to building to shopping.