Many Year 9 students find it tough to understand the link between ratios and fractions. This can lead to some common misunderstandings:

1. Same Meaning: Some students believe that ratios and fractions are the same. They both show a relationship, but they are different. Ratios compare two amounts, while fractions show a part of a whole.

2. Simplifying: Not everyone knows that simplifying ratios is different from simplifying fractions. For example, the ratio $2:4$ can be simplified to $1:2$. But a fraction like $\frac{2}{4}$ simplifies to $\frac{1}{2}$ in a different way.

3. Order Matters: The order of numbers in ratios is very important. For instance, $3:1$ is not the same as $1:3$. This can confuse students when they try to use these ideas with fractions.

Understanding these differences is key to getting better at these concepts!