Question
Are ratios and fractions the same thing? If they aren't, then what's the difference between them?
Answers
Reiny
Suppose you have a bag full of apples and oranges totalling 12.
5 of those the fruits in the bag are apples
So 5/12 of the bags content consists of apples, that means 7/12 of its content
are oranges.
Or think of a pizza divided into 8 parts, you eat 3 slices and Peggy eats 5 slices
The <b>fraction</b> of the pizza that Peggy ate is 5/8
The <b>fraction</b> of the pizza that you age is 3/8
The <b>ratio</b> of the pieces you ate to the pieces Peggy ate is 3 : 5
The <b>ratio</b> of the pieces that Peggy ate to yours is 5 : 3
In my first example, the ratio of apples to oranges is 5 : 7
Many people confuse ratio with fractions, even though they are closely related, they are quite the same.
Hope my two examples show how they are connected.
5 of those the fruits in the bag are apples
So 5/12 of the bags content consists of apples, that means 7/12 of its content
are oranges.
Or think of a pizza divided into 8 parts, you eat 3 slices and Peggy eats 5 slices
The <b>fraction</b> of the pizza that Peggy ate is 5/8
The <b>fraction</b> of the pizza that you age is 3/8
The <b>ratio</b> of the pieces you ate to the pieces Peggy ate is 3 : 5
The <b>ratio</b> of the pieces that Peggy ate to yours is 5 : 3
In my first example, the ratio of apples to oranges is 5 : 7
Many people confuse ratio with fractions, even though they are closely related, they are quite the same.
Hope my two examples show how they are connected.
Barry Vacker
Thank you