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Ratios

Uploaded by

Menia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is Ratio?

The ratio is defined as the comparison of two quantities of the same units that indicates
how much of one quantity is present in the other quantity. Ratios can be classified into two
types. One is part to part ratio and the other is part to whole ratio. The part-to-part ratio
denotes how two distinct entities or groups are related. For example, the ratio of boys to girls
in a class is 12: 15, whereas, the part-to-whole ratio denotes the relationship between a
specific group to a whole. For example, out of every 10 people, 5 of them like to read books.
Therefore, the part to the whole ratio is 5: 10, which means every 5 people from 10 people
like to read books.

Ratio Formula

We use the ratio formula while comparing the relationship between two numbers or
quantities. The general form of representing a ratio of between two quantities say 'a' and 'b' is
a: b, which is read as 'a is to b'.

The fraction form that represents this ratio is a/b. To further simplify a ratio, we follow the
same procedure that we use for simplifying a fraction. a:b = a/b. Let us understand this with
an example.

Example: In a class of 50 students, 23 are girls and the remaining are boys. Find the ratio of
the number of boys to the number of girls.

Total number of students = 50; Number of girls = 23.

Total number of boys = Total number of students - Total number of girls


= 50 - 23
= 27

Therefore, the desired ratio is, (Number of boys: Number of girls), which is 27:23.

Calculation of Ratios
In order to calculate the ratio of two quantities, we can use the following steps. Let us
understand this with an example. For example, if 15 cups of flour and 20 cups of sugar are
needed to make fluffy pancakes, let us calculate the ratio of flour and sugar used in the
recipe.

 Step 1: Find the quantities of both the scenarios for which we are determining the
ratio. In this case, it is 15 and 20.
 Step 2: Write it in the fraction form a/b. So, we write it as 15/20.
 Step 3: Simplify the fraction further, if possible. The simplified fraction will give the
final ratio. Here, 15/20 can be simplified to 3/4.
 Step 4: Therefore, the ratio of flour to sugar can be expressed as 3: 4.

Use Cuemath's free online ratios calculator to verify your answers while calculating ratios.
How to Simplify Ratios?
A ratio expresses how much of one quantity is required as compared to another quantity. The
two terms in the ratio can be simplified and expressed in their lowest form. Ratios when
expressed in their lowest terms are easy to understand and can be simplified in the same way
as we simplify fractions. To simplify a ratio, we use the following steps. Let us understand
this with an example. For example, let us simplify the ratio 18:10.

 Step 1: Write the given ratio a:b in the form of a fraction a/b. On writing the ratio in
the fraction form, we get 18/10.
 Step 2: Find the greatest common factor of 'a' and 'b'. In this case, the GCF of 10 and
18 is 2.
 Step 3: Divide the numerator and denominator of the fraction with the GCF to obtain
the simplified fraction. Here, by dividing the numerator and denominator by 2, we
get, (18÷2)/(10÷2) = 9/5.
 Step 4: Represent this fraction in the ratio form to get the result. Therefore, the
simplified ratio is 9:5.

Use Cuemath's free online simplifying ratios calculator to verify your answers.

Tips and Tricks on Ratio:

 In case both the numbers 'a' and 'b' are equal in the ratio a: b, then a: b = 1.
 If a > b in the ratio a : b, then a : b > 1.
 If a < b in the ratio a : b, then a : b < 1.
 It is to be ensured that the units of the two quantities are similar before comparing
them.

Equivalent Ratios
Equivalent ratios are similar to equivalent fractions. If the antecedent (the first term) and the
consequent (the second term) of a given ratio are multiplied or divided by the same number
other than zero, it gives an equivalent ratio. For example, when the antecedent and the
consequent of the ratio 1:3 are multiplied by 3, we get, (1 × 3) : (3 × 3) or 3: 9. Here, 1:3 and
3:9 are equivalent ratios. Similarly, when both the terms of the ratio 20:10 are divided by 10,
it gives 2:1. Here, 20:10 and 2:1 are equivalent ratios. An infinite number of equivalent ratios
of any given ratio can be found by multiplying the antecedent and the consequent by a
positive integer.

Ratio Table

A ratio table is a list containing the equivalent ratios of any given ratio in a structured
manner. The following ratio table gives the relation between the ratio 1:4 and four of its
equivalent ratios. The equivalent ratios are related to each other by the multiplication of a
number. Equivalent ratios are obtained by multiplying or dividing the two terms of a ratio by
the same number. In the example shown in the figure, let us take the ratio 1:4 and find four
equivalent ratios, by multiplying both the terms of the ratio by 2, 3, 6, and 9. As a result, we
get 2:8, 3:12, 6:24, and 9:36.

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