Lesson 17 Section 3

RATIO AND PROPORTION

Lowest terms
Back to Section 1.

4. How can we express the ratio of any smaller number

to a larger?
2 to 3

Let each number say its name. Let the smaller

number say its cardinal name: one, two, three, etc.
Let the larger number say its ordinal name: third,
fourth, fifth, etc.

Example 1. What ratio has 2 to 3?

Answer. "2 is two thirds of 3."
2 says its cardinal name, "two." 3 says its ordinal name, "third."
That is how to express the ratio of any smaller number to a larger.
Example 2. What ratio has 4 to 5?
Answer. "4 is four fifths of 5."
To see this, consider that 1 is one fifth of 5:

2 is two fifths of 5.
3 is three fifths of 5.
4 is four fifths of 5.
Each number says its name.
Lowest terms
The two numbers of a ratio are called its terms. In the ratio of 4 to 12,
4 and 12 are the terms.

1
5. When is a ratio expressed with the lowest terms?
When it is expressed with the smallest numbers
which have that ratio.

Many pairs of numbers have the same ratio as 4 to 12; for

example,
5 to 15, 6 to 18, 10 to 30. But the smallest pair are 1 to 3.
4 is to 12 as 1 is to 3.
Now it is perfectly correct to say,
"4 is four twelfths of 12."
But when we say,
"4 is one third of 12,"
then we have expressed that ratio with the smallest numbers --
the lowest terms -- which have that ratio. The terms 1 and 3 say their
names.

6. How can we know when the ratio of two numbers is

expressed with the lowest terms?
1 is their only common divisor.

When we express the ratio of 7 to 8, for example, as seven eighths,

then we have expressed it with the lowest terms because 1 is the only
common divisor of 7 and 8. But if we express the ratio
of 12 to 18 as twelve eighteenths, then although that is true, those are not
the lowest terms, because 12 and 18 have a common divisor, 6.

7. What is the theorem of the common divisor?

"If we divide two numbers by the same
number, then the quotients will have the same
ratio
as the numbers we divided."

(In the next Lesson, we will see why.)

2
Example 3. What ratio has 12 to 18?
Answer. 12 and 18 have a common divisor 6:
"6 goes into 12 two times and into 18 three times."
The quotients are 2 and 3. Therefore according to the theorem,
12 is to 18 as 2 is to 3.
"12 is two thirds of 18."

2 and 3 say their names.

Example 4. Express the ratio of 21 to 28 with the lowest terms.
Answer. Their ratio will be expressed with a sentence,
"21 is 28."
21 and 28 have a common divisor 7:
"7 goes into 21 three times and into 28 four times."
21 is to 28 as 3 is to 4.
"21 is three fourths of 28."

Notice that their common divisor 7 is one fourth of 28.

Example 5. If a is an eighth of b, then a is to b as ? is to ?.
Complete that proportion with the smallest numbers -- the lowest
terms -- which have that ratio.
(a simply means the first term, and b, the second.)
Answer. There are many pairs such that the first is an eighth of the
second. 2 and 16; 5 and 40; 10 and 80. However, the smallest such
numbers are 1 and 8.
If a is an eighth of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 8.
Application to percent
Example 6. If a is 25% of b, then a is to b as ? is to ?.
3
 Complete that proportion with the smallest numbers -- the lowest
terms -- which have that ratio.
Answer. Since 25% means a quarter, then
a is to b as 1 is to 4.
Example 7. In a class, the ratio of girls to boys is 3 to 4.

That means there are 3 girls in the class for every 4 boys.
If there are 24 boys, then how many girls are there?
Solution. "The ratio of girls to boys is 3 to 4." What ratio has 3 to 4?
3 is three fourths of 4. (Question 4.) Therefore, the number of girls is three
fourths of the number of boys -- three fourths of 24. One fourth of 24 is 6.
(24 divided by 4 = 6.) Therefore, three fourths are 18.
(See Lesson 15, Questions 5 and 6. And for another solution to this
problem, see Example 11 of the next Lesson.)
Note: We could have worded this problem as follows:
"The girls are 75% of the boys."
That means that the girls are to the boys as 3 is to 4 -- because 75%
is three fourths of 100%.
Example 8. The whole is equal to the sum of the parts. In a class,
the number of girls is 75% of the number of boys. There are 35
students. How many girls are there and how many boys?
Solution. To say that girls are 75% of the boys, is to say that the ratio

of girls to boys is 3 to 4. But that means that 3 out of every 7 students

are girls (3 + 4 = 7), and 4 out of every 7 are boys. In other words, three
sevenths of the students are girls, and four sevenths are boys.
Now, one seventh of 35 is 5. Therefore three sevenths are 3 5 =
15. There are 15 girls. The rest, then -- 35 15 = 20 -- are boys.
(For for another solution to this problem, see Example 12 of
the next Lesson. For more on the locution "out of," see the next
Lesson and Lesson 20.)

4
Example 9. In a survey, the number of Yes's were 50% of the number
of No's. What percent of the entire survey responded Yes?
Solution. To say that the Yes's were 50% of No's, is to say that the
Yes's were to the No's in the ratio 1 to 2.

In other words, 1 out of every 3 responses -- one third -- were Yes.

1
They were 33 3 % of the entire survey. (Lesson 16.)

Please "turn" the page and do some Problems.

5
 RATIO AND PROPORTION
PROBLEMS (3)

19. 1 the only common divisor. Each number says its name.
19. What ratio has
a) 2 to 3? Two thirds. b) 3 to 4? Three fourths.

c) 5 to 6? Five sixths. d) 2 to 9? Two ninths.

e) 1 to 5? One fifth. f) 2 to 5? Two fifths.

g) 3 to 5? Three fifths. h) 4 to 5? Four fifths.

10. Common divisor; Lowest terms. Express each ratio with the
10. lowest terms.
a) 6 to 8? Three fourths. b) 12 to 18? Two thirds.

c) 10 to 25? Two fifths. d) 9 to 24? Three eighths.

e) 10 to 15? Two thirds. f) 15 to 20? Three fourths.

g) 20 to 30? Two thirds. h) 6 to 10? Three fifths.

i) 15 to 24? Five eighths. j) 90 to 100? Nine tenths.

k) 14 to 35? Two fifths. l) 15 to 40? Three eighths.

m) 72 to 81? Eight ninths. n) 16 to 20? Four fifths.

o) 21 to 70? Three tenths. p) 40 to 100 Two fifths.

6
q) 80 to 100? Four fifths. r) 1500 to 3500 Three sevenths.

11. Complete the following with the smallest numbers -- the lowest
11. terms -- which have that ratio.
11. a) If a is half of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 2.
11. b) If a is a third of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 3.
11. c) If a is four times b, then a is to b as 4 is to 1.
11. d) If a is ten times b, then a is to b as 10 is to 1.
11. e) If a is two thirds of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 3.
11. f) If a is five eighths of b, then a is to b as 5 is to 8.
11. g) If a is nine tenths of b, then a is to b as 9 is to 10.

12. Complete the following with the smallest numbers -- the lowest
12. terms -- which have that ratio.
(Compare Section 1, Problems 2 and 3.)
12. a) If a is 50% of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 2.
12. b) If a is a 25% of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 4.
12. c) If a is 75% of b, then a is to b as 3 is to 4.
12. d) If a is 200% of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 1.
12. e) If a is 300% of b, then a is to b as 3 is to 1.
12. f) If a is 20% of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 5.
12. g) If a is 40% of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 5.
1
h) If a is 33 % of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 3.
3

(Lesson 16, Question 5.)

2
i) If a is 66 % of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 3.
3
13. Numbers that end in the same number of 0's.
If two numbers end in the same number of 0's, then we may ignore those 0's
and take the ratio of what remains.
(Because when we do that, we have divided both terms by the same power of 10. The
quotients will then have the same ratio as the numbers divided.)

7
 What ratio has
a) 50 to 150? One third.
c) 5000 to 6000? Five sixths.
e) 900 to 4500? One fifth.
g) 3200 to 800? Four times.
i) 1000 to 100? Ten times.
k) 1200 to 1800 Two thirds.
b) 500 to 1500? One third.
d) 70 to 280? One fourth.
f) 180 to 60? Three times.
h) 1500 to 50? Thirty times.
j) 400 to 2000? One fifth.
l) 1500 to 2000? Three fourths.

14. In a class, the ratio of boys to girls was 4 to 5. There were 20 girls.
14. How many boys were there? 16. Four fifths of 20.

15. In a survey, the ratio of Yes's to No's was 2 to 3. There were 150
15. No's. How many Yes's were there? 100. Two thirds of 150.

16. The ratio of white roses to red was 3 to 4. There were 32 red roses.
16. How many white roses were there? 24. Three fourths of 32.

17. The ratio of white roses to red was 3 to 4. Out of 28 roses, how
17. .many were white and how many were red?
12 white and 16 red. For, 3 out of every 7 roses -- 3 white + 4 red -- were white.
That is, three sevenths of them were white, and four sevenths, red. One seventh of
28 is 4, so three sevenths are 12. The rest, 16, were red.

18. In a survey, the ratio of Yes's to No's was 2 to 3. Out of 100

11. responses, how many were Yes and how many No?
40 Yes and 60 No. For, the Yes's were two fifths of 100, and the No's, three fifths.

19. The number of boys in a class is 25% of the number of girls. The number of boys,
therefore, is what percent of the entire class?

By following this sequence, you should come upon the answer.

The number of boys is to the number of girls in the same ratio as which two numbers (in
lowest terms)? 1 to 4.

Therefore 1 out of every 5 students are boys.

The boys therefore are 20% of the entire class.

8
 20. The number of girls in a class was two thirds the number of boys.
20. The girls, then, were what percent of the entire class?
40%. For, the ratio of girls to boys was 2 to 3. Therefore, 2 out of 5 -- two fifths of
the students -- were girls. And two fifths of 100% is 40%.

RATIO AND PROPORTION

ANSWERS (3)

19. 1 the only common divisor. Each number says its name.
19. What ratio has
a) 2 to 3? Two thirds. b) 3 to 4? Three fourths.

c) 5 to 6? Five sixths. d) 2 to 9? Two ninths.

e) 1 to 5? One fifth. f) 2 to 5? Two fifths.

g) 3 to 5? Three fifths. h) 4 to 5? Four fifths.

10. Common divisor; Lowest terms. Express each ratio with the
10. lowest terms.
a) 6 to 8? Three fourths. b) 12 to 18? Two thirds.

c) 10 to 25? Two fifths. d) 9 to 24? Three eighths.

e) 10 to 15? Two thirds. f) 15 to 20? Three fourths.

g) 20 to 30? Two thirds. h) 6 to 10? Three fifths.

i) 15 to 24? Five eighths. j) 90 to 100? Nine tenths.

9
k) 14 to 35? Two fifths. l) 15 to 40? Three eighths.

m) 72 to 81? Eight ninths. n) 16 to 20? Four fifths.

o) 21 to 70? Three tenths. p) 40 to 100 Two fifths.

q) 80 to 100? Four fifths. r) 1500 to 3500 Three sevenths.

11. Complete the following with the smallest numbers -- the lowest
11. terms -- which have that ratio.
11. a) If a is half of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 2.
11. b) If a is a third of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 3.
11. c) If a is four times b, then a is to b as 4 is to 1.
11. d) If a is ten times b, then a is to b as 10 is to 1.
11. e) If a is two thirds of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 3.
11. f) If a is five eighths of b, then a is to b as 5 is to 8.
11. g) If a is nine tenths of b, then a is to b as 9 is to 10.

12. Complete the following with the smallest numbers -- the lowest
12. terms -- which have that ratio.
(Compare Section 1, Problems 2 and 3.)
12. a) If a is 50% of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 2.
12. b) If a is a 25% of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 4.
12. c) If a is 75% of b, then a is to b as 3 is to 4.
12. d) If a is 200% of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 1.
12. e) If a is 300% of b, then a is to b as 3 is to 1.
12. f) If a is 20% of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 5.
12. g) If a is 40% of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 5.
1
h) If a is 33 % of b, then a is to b as 1 is to 3.
3

10
 (Lesson 16, Question 5.)

2
i) If a is 66 % of b, then a is to b as 2 is to 3.
3
13. Numbers that end in the same number of 0's.
If two numbers end in the same number of 0's, then we may ignore those 0's
and take the ratio of what remains.
(Because when we do that, we have divided both terms by the same power of 10. The
quotients will then have the same ratio as the numbers divided.)
What ratio has
a) 50 to 150? One third. b) 500 to 1500? One third.
c) 5000 to 6000? Five sixths. d) 70 to 280? One fourth.
e) 900 to 4500? One fifth. f) 180 to 60? Three times.
g) 3200 to 800? Four times. h) 1500 to 50? Thirty times.
i) 1000 to 100? Ten times. j) 400 to 2000? One fifth.
k) 1200 to 1800 Two thirds. l) 1500 to 2000? Three fourths.

14. In a class, the ratio of boys to girls was 4 to 5. There were 20 girls.
14. How many boys were there? 16. Four fifths of 20.

15. In a survey, the ratio of Yes's to No's was 2 to 3. There were 150
15. No's. How many Yes's were there? 100. Two thirds of 150.

16. The ratio of white roses to red was 3 to 4. There were 32 red roses.
16. How many white roses were there? 24. Three fourths of 32.

17. The ratio of white roses to red was 3 to 4. Out of 28 roses, how
17. .many were white and how many were red?
12 white and 16 red. For, 3 out of every 7 roses -- 3 white + 4 red -- were white.
That is, three sevenths of them were white, and four sevenths, red. One seventh
of 28 is 4, so three sevenths are 12. The rest, 16, were red.

18. In a survey, the ratio of Yes's to No's was 2 to 3. Out of 100

11. responses, how many were Yes and how many No?
40 Yes and 60 No. For, the Yes's were two fifths of 100, and the No's, three fifths.

19. The number of boys in a class is 25% of the number of girls. The number of boys,
therefore, is what percent of the entire class?

11
 By following this sequence, you should come upon the answer.

The number of boys is to the number of girls in the same ratio as which two numbers (in
lowest terms)? 1 to 4.

Therefore 1 out of every 5 students are boys.

The boys therefore are 20% of the entire class.

20. The number of girls in a class was two thirds the number of boys.
20. The girls, then, were what percent of the entire class?
40%. For, the ratio of girls to boys was 2 to 3. Therefore, 2 out of 5 -- two fifths of
the students -- were girls. And two fifths of 100% is 40%.

12