Understanding Ratios and Percentages

Many students find ratios and percentages tricky, especially when they reach Year 11 math.

It can be tough to see how these two ideas are connected. This often leads to confusion when trying to use them in real life.

Let’s break it down.

1. What Are Ratios and Percentages?

   • Ratios are a way to compare things. For example, in a class, if there are 3 boys for every 2 girls, the ratio is written as $3:2$.
   • Percentages tell us how much of something there is out of a total. For example, if 60% of the class are boys, that means out of 100 students, 60 are boys.

2. Converting Ratios to Percentages

   • Many students find turning ratios into percentages hard.
   • Take the ratio $3:2$. To find the percentage of boys, you add the two numbers (3 + 2 = 5). Then you take the boys’ part (3) and divide it by the total (5). So, $3/5$ of the class are boys. This means $60\%$ when you multiply it by 100.
   • It can be even trickier when you are trying to figure out discounts or how much of a recipe to use. These problems don’t always come with clear steps, which can confuse students.

3. Making it Easier

   • To help students, it's a good idea to practice converting ratios and percentages with helpful methods.
   • Using pictures or charts can make it simpler to see the connections.
   • Remind students that to change a ratio $a:b$ into a percentage, they can use this formula: $(a/(a+b)) \times 100$. This makes the math less intimidating!

By consistently practicing these skills and doing hands-on exercises, students can feel more confident about using ratios and percentages in their daily lives.