Detailed Notes on Ratios for 7th Grade Math
What is a Ratio?
A ratio is a way to compare two or more quantities. It shows how many times one number
contains another or how two values relate to each other. Ratios are often written in three
different ways:
● As a fraction: ab\frac{a}{b}
● With a colon: a:ba:b
● In words: "a to b"
Example: If there are 3 apples and 4 oranges, the ratio of apples to oranges can be written as:
● 34\frac{3}{4}
● 3:43:4
● "3 to 4"
Key Terminology
● Part-to-Part: This ratio compares two different groups within a whole.
○ Example: If you have 5 boys and 3 girls in a class, the ratio of boys to girls is 5:3.
● Part-to-Whole: This ratio compares a part of the group to the entire group.
○ Example: If you have 5 boys and 3 girls, the total number of students is 5 + 3 = 8.
The ratio of boys to the total students is 5:8.
Simplifying Ratios
Just like fractions, you can simplify ratios by dividing both terms by their greatest common
divisor (GCD).
Example: Simplify the ratio 8:12.
● Find the GCD of 8 and 12, which is 4.
● Divide both terms by 4:
84:124=2:3\frac{8}{4} : \frac{12}{4} = 2:3
Thus, the simplified ratio is 2:3.
Equivalent Ratios
Two ratios are equivalent if they express the same relationship between quantities.
Example: Are the ratios 2:3 and 6:9 equivalent?
● Simplify 6:9 by dividing both numbers by their GCD, which is 3: 63:93=2:3\frac{6}{3} : \
frac{9}{3} = 2:3
● Therefore, 2:3 and 6:9 are equivalent.
Ratio Word Problems
1. Part-to-Part Problem
○ A class has 12 boys and 18 girls. What is the ratio of boys to girls?
■ Solution: The ratio of boys to girls is 12:1812:18.
Simplify by dividing both terms by their GCD (6):
○ 126:186=2:3\frac{12}{6}: \frac{18}{6} = 2:3 So, the ratio of boys to girls is 2:3.
2. Part-to-Whole Problem
○There are 24 students in a class, and 6 of them are absent. What is the ratio of
students present to students absent?
■ Solution:
The number of students present is 24−6=1824 - 6 = 18.
The ratio of students present to absent is 18:618:6.
Simplify by dividing both terms by their GCD (6):
○ 186:66=3:1\frac{18}{6}: \frac{6}{6} = 3:1 So, the ratio of students present to
absent is 3:1.
3. Equivalent Ratios Problem
○ If the ratio of dogs to cats at a shelter is 5:8, how many cats are there if there are
25 dogs?
■ Solution: Set up a proportion using equivalent ratios:
○ 58=25x\frac{5}{8} = \frac{25}{x} Cross-multiply: 5x=8×25=2005x = 8 \times 25 =
200 Divide both sides by 5: x=2005=40x = \frac{200}{5} = 40 So, there are 40
cats.
Scaling Ratios
Sometimes, you may need to scale a ratio to a larger or smaller equivalent ratio.
Example: Scale the ratio 3:4 by multiplying both terms by 5.
● Multiply both terms by 5:
3×5:4×5=15:203 \times 5 : 4 \times 5 = 15:20
So, the scaled ratio is 15:20.
Real-Life Applications of Ratios
1. Cooking
○ If a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and 3 cups of sugar, the ratio of flour to sugar
is 2:3. If you want to make double the recipe, you would use 4 cups of flour and 6
cups of sugar, keeping the ratio the same.
2. Maps
○ On a map, the ratio of distance on the map to actual distance in real life could be
1:100,000. This means that 1 centimeter on the map represents 100,000
centimeters (or 1 kilometer) in real life.
3. Sports
○ If a soccer team has 10 wins and 2 losses, the win-to-loss ratio is 10:2.
Simplified, it becomes 5:1, meaning the team wins 5 times for every loss.
Practice Problems and Examples
1. Simplifying Ratios:
● Simplify the ratio 18:24.
● Simplify the ratio 50:75.
● Simplify the ratio 14:35.
2. Equivalent Ratios:
● Are the ratios 4:6 and 8:12 equivalent?
● Are the ratios 7:9 and 21:27 equivalent?
● Are the ratios 15:20 and 5:10 equivalent?
3. Word Problems:
● A recipe uses 4 cups of milk for every 3 cups of sugar. If you use 12 cups of milk, how
much sugar do you need?
● A bag contains 9 red balls and 15 blue balls. What is the ratio of red balls to blue balls?
● A car travels 80 miles in 2 hours. What is the ratio of miles to hours?
4. Scaling Ratios:
● Scale the ratio 2:3 by multiplying both parts by 4.
● Scale the ratio 5:6 by dividing both parts by 2.
● Scale the ratio 1:5 by multiplying both parts by 10.
5. Part-to-Whole Ratios:
● In a class of 30 students, 12 are boys. What is the ratio of boys to the total number of
students?
● A basket contains 8 apples and 2 bananas. What is the ratio of bananas to the total
number of fruits?
Answers to Practice Problems:
1. Simplifying Ratios:
● 18:24 → Simplify by dividing by 6 → 3:4
● 50:75 → Simplify by dividing by 25 → 2:3
● 14:35 → Simplify by dividing by 7 → 2:5
2. Equivalent Ratios:
● 4:6 and 8:12 are equivalent (divide both by 2).
● 7:9 and 21:27 are equivalent (divide both by 3).
● 15:20 and 5:10 are equivalent (divide both by 5).
3. Word Problems:
● If you use 12 cups of milk, you need 9 cups of sugar (since 4:3=12:x4:3 = 12:x, so x=9x
= 9).
● The ratio of red balls to blue balls is 9:15, which simplifies to 3:5.
● The ratio of miles to hours is 80:2, which simplifies to 40:1.
4. Scaling Ratios:
● 2:3 scaled by 4 → 8:12
● 5:6 scaled by 2 → 2.5:3
● 1:5 scaled by 10 → 10:50
5. Part-to-Whole Ratios:
● Ratio of boys to total students: 12:30 → Simplify to 2:5
● Ratio of bananas to total fruits: 2:10 → Simplify to 1:5
These notes and problems should help in understanding and practicing ratios effectively!
