Ratio in Math - Definition and Examples


A ratio is a comparison of two numbers or quantities by division. For example, suppose a movie theater has 200 men and 300 women. Below we show three ratios that we could write from this situation.

The ratio of men to women is 200/300 

The ratio of women to men is 300/200 

The ratio of men to the total number of people is 200/500 

Notice that the ratio of men to women can be simplified to 2/3

This means that for every 2 men, there are 3 women.

If a and b represent numbers, the ratio of a to b is a/b. Notice that b cannot be zero.

The ratio of a to b can also be written as a:b

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Math words beginning with the letter r

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