Question

The ratio of black squirrels to brown squirrels is 8 to 13 If there were 231 total squirrels what percent to the nearest whole percent were black?

And how many squirrels were brown?

Answer 1

8/21 = 0.3809 = 38% were black

Answer 2

black / brown = 8 / 13
so
13 black = 8 brown

brown = (13/8) black

so
black + (13/8) black = 231

(8/8 + 13/8) black = 231

21/8 black = 231
black = 88

(88/231)100 = 38 percent

now we could have done that without using the 231
8 + 13 = 21
(8/21) 100 = 38 percent