Understanding ratios might seem a little confusing at first, but it gets easier once you break it down.

A ratio is a way to compare two or more amounts. You can think of it like a recipe, where you need certain ingredients in specific amounts to get the right taste.

Reading Ratios

When you see a ratio, it can be written in a few ways:

• Using a colon: For example, $3:2$ means for every 3 parts of one thing, there are 2 parts of another.

• As a fraction: The same ratio can be written as $\frac{3}{2}$.

• In words: You can say "3 to 2" as well.

Interpreting Ratios

Let’s say you have a ratio of $4:1$ for boys to girls in a class. This means for every 4 boys, there is 1 girl.

If you want to find out how many boys there are if there are 5 girls, you can set it up like this:

1. Set the ratio as a fraction:
   $\frac{4}{1} = \frac{B}{G}$
   Here, $B$ is the number of boys, and $G$ is the number of girls.

2. Since you know there are 5 girls (G = 5), put that into the equation:
   $\frac{4}{1} = \frac{B}{5}$

3. Now, you can cross-multiply to find $B$:
   $4 \cdot 5 = 1 \cdot B$
   So, $B = 20$. This means there are 20 boys in the class.

Practical Tips

• Always simplify ratios if you can. For example, $10:5$ can be simplified to $2:1$.

• Use real-life examples. Practice with things like mixing colors or ingredients in cooking. This makes it easier to understand.

• Practice reading ratios in different ways until it feels easy. Sometimes questions might show them in different formats.

Understanding ratios is all about seeing how numbers relate to each other. With a bit of practice, you’ll be reading and writing them like an expert!