To write a proportion for the situation described, we need to analyze the relationships between the number of ants and the number of leaves they can carry.
From the information given:
- From the first statement, we know that 27 ants can carry 9 leaves.
- From the second statement, we know that 15 ants can carry 5 leaves.
We can set up a proportion based on the number of ants per leaf for both scenarios. We will express the number of ants per leaf for each case and then equate them:
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For the first statement (27 ants and 9 leaves):
- The ratio is \(\frac{27 \text{ ants}}{9 \text{ leaves}} = 3 \text{ ants per leaf}\).
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For the second statement (15 ants and 5 leaves):
- The ratio is \(\frac{15 \text{ ants}}{5 \text{ leaves}} = 3 \text{ ants per leaf}\).
Now, both ratios equal \(3\) ants per leaf, which means we can set up the following proportion:
\[ \frac{27 \text{ ants}}{9 \text{ leaves}} = \frac{15 \text{ ants}}{5 \text{ leaves}} \]
This proportion states that the ratio of ants to leaves in the first situation is equal to the ratio of ants to leaves in the second situation.
This method ensures that we captured the relationships correctly by maintaining the balance of how many ants are required to transport the same amount of leaves in both cases.
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