What is ratio?

A ratio is a way to compare how much of one thing there is compared to another.

Imagine you have a bag of cookies and candies. If you have 2 cookies for every 1 candy, that means the ratio of cookies to candies is 2 to 1. It's like saying for each candy, there are two cookies, just like when you share snacks with your friend.

What Does a Ratio Look Like?

A ratio can be written in different ways:

You might see ratios when you're sharing toys, mixing paint, or even dividing pizza. If you have 4 slices of pizza and 2 people, the ratio of slices to people is 2 to 1, each person gets two slices.

Why Ratios Are Useful

Ratios help us understand how things are related in a simple way. Whether it's comparing your toys, your snacks, or even your steps while running around the playground, ratios give you a clear picture of how much of one thing there is compared to another.

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Examples

  1. A recipe needs 2 cups of flour for every 1 cup of sugar, that's a ratio of 2:1.
  2. There are 4 boys and 6 girls in the class, the ratio is 4:6.
  3. Every time you watch a video, there are 5 likes for every 1 dislike, that’s a ratio of 5:1.

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Categories: Art · ratio· math basics· comparison