2. When it comes to understanding ratios or proportions, one practical application that might not be explicitly mentioned in your text is cooking and baking. Let's say you are following a recipe that serves 4 people, but you want to adjust the quantities to serve 8 people instead. This is where ratios and proportions can be helpful.
To solve this problem, you can use a proportion. Let's assume the original recipe calls for 2 cups of flour to serve 4 people. We can set up the proportion as follows:
2 cups / 4 people = x cups / 8 people
To find the value of x, we can cross-multiply:
4 * x = 2 * 8
4x = 16
Now divide both sides by 4 to isolate x:
x = 16 / 4
x = 4
So, to serve 8 people instead of 4, you would need 4 cups of flour. By using ratios and proportions, you can easily scale recipes up or down to accommodate different serving sizes.
In your daily life, this can be useful when you come across recipes that need to be adjusted to serve a larger or smaller group of people. It helps you avoid over or underestimating ingredient quantities, ensuring that your dishes are prepared in the right proportion and taste just as delicious whether you're cooking for a big gathering or a small family dinner.