We often write ratios as fractions, especially to help us to do the math, but are they the same as fractions? Generally ratios are best written as fractions when the second term, called the consequent term, is the total of the set.
For example, if we have 8 apples and 12 oranges, our ratio of apples to fruit is 8:20. Written as a fraction this would be 8/20 or 2/5. This means that two fifths of our fruit is apples. This makes sense.
Note: this ratio can also be written as a percentage; 40% of the fruit is apples.
Next let’s compare the ratio of apples to oranges which is 8:12. This can be written as the fraction 8/12 and reduced to 2/3. But this fraction doesn’t tell us much or make a lot of sense beyond the ratio of apples to oranges. We have 2/3 of what? Doesn’t really mean a lot.
You can’t really write this as a percentage either. It would be rounded to 67%, but 67% of what? You need the consequent, or second term, to be the total or the number of fruit.
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