Ratios and Proportions

What is a Ratio?
• A ratio is a comparison of two numbers.
• Ratios can be written in three different ways:
a to b
a:b
a
Because a ratio is a fraction, b can not be zero
b

Ratios are expressed in simplest form

 How to Use Ratios?
• The ratio of boys and girls in the class is
12 to11. This means, for every 12 boys
you can find 11 girls to match.
• The ratio of length and width of this rectangle
• There could be just 12 boys, 11
girls.
is 4 to 1. • There could be 24 boys, 22
girls. 4cm
• There could be 120 boys, 110
girls…a huge class 1cm
What is the ratio if the
rectangle is 8cm long and
.• The ratio of cats and dogs at my home is 2 to 1
2cm wide?
Still 4 to 1, because for
How many dogs and cats do I
every 4cm, you can find 1cm
have? We don’t know, all we
to match
know is if they’d start a fight,
each dog has to fight 2 cats.
Equivalent or Equal Ratios

Original Ratio Equivalent Ratio in

Lowest Term
30 : 45 2:3

12 : 48 1:4

20 : 75 4 : 15
 Example

1. In a public senior high school, there are

775 students and 25 teachers. What is the
ratio of the number of students to the
number of teachers? What is the ratio of the
number of teachers to the number of
students?
 Example

2. Maria works 12 days in a month while

Tony works 3 weeks in a month. What is the
ratio of the number of days that Tony works?
 Example

3. A car travelled a distance of 150 kilometers

in 3 hours. Find the unit rate comparing
distance travelled by a car to the time it takes
to cover that distance.
 PROPORTION
– a statement that two ratios are
equal.

a:b=c:d

The terms a and d are called extremes,

while b and c are called means.
Fundamental Law of Proportion
In any proportion, the product of the means
is equal to the product of the extremes. In
symbol, this is expressed as

a c
If a : b = c : d or = ; then, ad = bc .
b d
Finding the Missing Term in a Proportion

1. 8 : 32 = n : 20

6 2.4
2. 15 = n

Answer pages 72 – 73 (Firm Up,

Deepen Your Understanding and
Challenge Yourself)