What is Ratio

When we say one banana for every three apples, the relationship between the banana and the apple is shown by a term called Ratio. It is used in comparing and showing the relationship between two entities. It is denoted using the symbol colon (:) between the two values.

In the above example the proportion between banana to apple would be banana: apple read as ‘banana to apple’ the value of which would be 1:3 read as ‘one is to three’.

Hence we can say ratios tell the relationship between two values that is how one number is related to the other. It may be denoted as a fraction also, for instance the two values which are to be compared are X and Y then the proportion between them can be shown either as X:Y or X/Y or just X to Y. In the above example the proportion shows that apples are three times bananas.

One important point to remember while writing the balance is that the order should not be changed that is the respective numbers should not be interchanged.

If for instance there are 3 pencils for every 5 pens, the balance when considered as pencils to pens should also be written in the same order pencils:pens, 3:5 and not 5:3 which would mean pens to pencils

Let us now determine the value of Y, if X=6 and the balance of X to Y is 3:4. To find the value of Y first we need to determine how many times X is divisible by the corresponding part of the balance (3:4) which can be calculated by dividing 6 with 3 which gives 2.

Now we just need to multiply this 3 with the corresponding balance part of Y which gives 2x4=8. When the proportion is 3:4 and the value of X=6 then the value of Y=8.  Ratio definition can be given as comparison between two things which tells the relationship between the two. Let us now take a glance at the various ratio problems which help to understand the concept.

There are 8 children, 3 are boys and 5 girls. What is the ratio of boys to girls, girls to boys, the total children to boys and total children to girls? Given the total number of children=8, boys=3 and girls=5. So, the proportion of boys to girls is 3:5; the proportion of girls to boys is 5:3; the proportion of total number of children to boys is 8:3 and the proportion of total number of children to girls is 8:5.