Question

Ann's and Deb's astronomy classes are going on a field trip to see the night sky. Ann's class has 9 telescopes for 21 students. Deb's class has 12 telescopes for 28 students. Which class has the greater ratio of telescopes to students?

Answer 1

To determine which class has a greater ratio of telescopes to students, we need to calculate the ratio for each class.

For Ann's class:

- Number of telescopes = 9
- Number of students = 21

The ratio of telescopes to students for Ann's class can be calculated as:

\[
\text{Ratio for Ann's class} = \frac{\text{Number of telescopes}}{\text{Number of students}} = \frac{9}{21}
\]

We can simplify this fraction:

\[
\frac{9}{21} = \frac{3}{7}
\]

Now, for Deb's class:

- Number of telescopes = 12
- Number of students = 28

The ratio of telescopes to students for Deb's class can be calculated as:

\[
\text{Ratio for Deb's class} = \frac{\text{Number of telescopes}}{\text{Number of students}} = \frac{12}{28}
\]

We can simplify this fraction:

\[
\frac{12}{28} = \frac{3}{7}
\]

Now that we have both ratios:

- Ann's class ratio = \(\frac{3}{7}\)
- Deb's class ratio = \(\frac{3}{7}\)

Both classes have the same ratio of telescopes to students. Therefore, neither class has a greater ratio; they are equal.