Ratio problems. How to share £42 between 2 people in the ratio 5:2.
Ratio Word Problem Video
If you are given an amount and you need share this amount by a ratio then you can apply the following 3 steps to solve the problem:
Step 1
Add up all of the parts in the ratio.
Step 2
Divide the amount by your answer from step 1. This will tell you the value of 1 part of the ratio.
Step 3
Multiply the ratio by your answer from step 2. This will give you the quantities that you need.
Example 1
Jack and Jill have £42 to share between them. They share the money in the ratio 5:2 (Jack to Jill). Work out the amount of money Jack and Jill receive.
Step 1
Add up all of the parts in the ratio.
5 + 2 = 7
Step 2
Divide the amount by your answer from step 1.
42 ÷ 7 = £6
So each part of the ratio is equal to £6
Step 3
Multiply the ratio by your answer from step 2.
Jacks amount 5 × 6 = £30
Jills amount 2 × 6 = £12
You can check these answers are correct by adding them up to see if they give the original amount of money.
£30 + £12 = £42.
Example 2
Amy and Beth have £63 to share between them. They share the money in the ratio 4:5 (Amy to Beth). How much more money does Beth receive than Amy?
Step 1
Add up all of the parts in the ratio.
4 + 5 = 9
Step 2
Divide the amount by your answer from step 1.
63 ÷ 9 = £7
So each part of the ratio is equal to £7
Step 3
Multiply the ratio by your answer from step 2.
Amy’s amount 4 × 7 = £28
Jills amount 5 × 7 = £35
Like example 1, you can check these answers are correct by adding them up to see if they give the original amount of money.
£28 + £35 = £63
Now the question asked to find out how much more money Beth received than Amy:
£35 - £28 = £7.
So Beth received an extra £7 than Amy.
Let’s look at one more example of sharing an amount by a ratio given in a different context.
Example 3
In a box there are 126 chocolates. The chocolates are mixed in the ratio 3:2:1 (milk:white:dark). Work out how many of each type of chocolate are in the box.
Step 1
Add up all of the parts in the ratio.
3 + 2 + 1 = 6
Step 2
Divide the amount by your answer from step 1.
126 ÷ 6 = 21
So each part of the ratio is equal to 21 chocolates.
Step 3
Multiply the ratio by your answer from step 2.
Milk chocolates 2 1× 3 = 63
White chocolates 21 × 2 = 42
Dark chocolates 21 × 1 = 21
You can check these answers are correct by adding them up to see if they give the original amount of chocolates in the box:
63 + 42 + 21 = 126 chocolates.
So to summarise sharing an amount by a ratio remember the 3 steps of add, divide and multiply!
Comments
Jessee R from Gurgaon, India on August 04, 2012:
simple and easy to comprehend
