To determine which candle is a lighter shade of blue, we need to analyze the ratio of blue wax to the total amount of wax used in each candle.
For the teacher's candle:
- White wax: 4 ounces
- Blue wax: 12 ounces
- Total wax = 4 ounces (white) + 12 ounces (blue) = 16 ounces
The ratio of blue wax in the teacher's candle is: \[ \text{Ratio of blue wax} = \frac{\text{blue wax}}{\text{total wax}} = \frac{12}{16} = \frac{3}{4} \]
For the principal's candle:
- White wax: 2 ounces
- Blue wax: 6 ounces
- Total wax = 2 ounces (white) + 6 ounces (blue) = 8 ounces
The ratio of blue wax in the principal's candle is: \[ \text{Ratio of blue wax} = \frac{\text{blue wax}}{\text{total wax}} = \frac{6}{8} = \frac{3}{4} \]
Both candles have the same ratio of blue wax to total wax, which means they contain the same proportion of blue compared to the total of wax. Therefore, we can conclude that neither candle is a lighter shade of blue; they are the same shade of blue.