Converting everyday situations into ratios is a great way to get better at understanding ratios and proportions, especially if you're in Year 11 studying for your GCSE math. Let’s break down how to do this with some easy steps and examples!

Step 1: Find the Quantities

First, look for two or more things in your situation that you can compare.

For example, let’s say you’re making a fruit salad with apples and bananas. If you use 3 apples and 5 bananas, you have two amounts to work with.

Step 2: Write the Quantities as a Ratio

Next, write these amounts as a ratio. In our fruit salad example, the ratio of apples to bananas is:

$$\text{Ratio of apples to bananas} = 3 : 5$$

Step 3: Simplify the Ratio

If you can, simplify the ratio. In this case, the ratio $3 : 5$ is already simple. But if you had 4 apples and 8 bananas, you would simplify it like this:

$$\frac{4}{8} = \frac{1}{2}$$

So, the simplified ratio would be $1 : 2$.

Step 4: Make Your Own Problems

Now, you can create your own problems using these ratios. For example, ask yourself: “If I decide to use 6 apples, how many bananas do I need to keep the same ratio of $3 : 5$?”

To find the answer, set up a proportion:

$$\frac{3}{5} = \frac{6}{x}$$

Cross-multiplying gives you $3x = 30$. So, $x = 10$. This means if you use 6 apples, you need 10 bananas to keep the ratio.

Examples from Everyday Life

You can find ratios everywhere! Here are a couple of examples:

• Cooking: If a recipe needs 2 cups of flour for 1 cup of sugar, the ratio is $2 : 1$.
• Classroom: If there are 20 boys and 30 girls in a class, the ratio of boys to girls is $20 : 30$, which simplifies to $2 : 3$.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can turn different real-life situations into ratios. This not only helps you understand ratios better but also sharpens your math skills for your GCSE exams! Keep looking around, and try making your own ratio problems based on what you notice. Happy ratio-making!