Discovering Ratios

Ratios are a way to compare two quantities, like the number of apples to oranges in a fruit basket. Ratios are written as \( a:b \), where \( a \) and \( b \) are numbers. You can also write them as fractions, like \( \frac{a}{b} \).

Why Are Ratios Important?

Ratios help us describe relationships in everyday life, such as mixing paint colors or following a recipe.

How to Use Ratios

• Simplifying Ratios: Just like reducing fractions, you can simplify ratios by dividing both numbers by their greatest common factor.
• Equivalent Ratios: Two ratios are equivalent if they have the same value when simplified.

Real-World Connections

Ratios are everywhere! Whether you’re comparing the number of wins to losses in a sports season or figuring out how much water to add to juice concentrate, you’re using ratios.

Practice Time

Try finding ratios around your home, like the number of red to blue shirts in your closet!