Ratio Calculator
Simplify ratios and solve for missing values in proportions.
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Simplify Ratios and Solve Proportions
Our Ratio Calculator makes it easy to simplify ratios to their lowest terms and solve for a missing value in a proportion.
What is a Ratio Calculator?
A Ratio Calculator is a mathematical tool that helps you understand and work with ratios and proportions. It can simplify a ratio to its simplest form (e.g., 50:100 becomes 1:2) and solve for a missing variable in a proportion (e.g., in the equation 2:4 = 8:X, it finds X=16). It's a useful tool for students, cooks scaling recipes, and anyone who needs to compare quantities.
How It Works: Simplifying and Solving
The calculator uses two main mathematical principles:
Simplifying Ratios: Finds the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD) of the two numbers and divides both by it.
Solving Proportions: Uses cross-multiplication (A × D = B × C) to solve for the unknown variable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate a ratio?
To calculate a ratio between two numbers, you find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of both numbers and then divide both numbers by the GCD to get the simplest form. For example, the ratio 20:40 simplifies to 1:2 because the GCD of 20 and 40 is 20.
What is a ratio?
A ratio indicates how many times one number contains another. It compares values, telling us how much of one thing there is compared to another thing. For example, if there are 8 apples and 6 oranges, the ratio of apples to oranges is 8:6, which can be simplified to 4:3.
How do you solve for a missing value in a proportion?
To solve for a missing value in a proportion (e.g., A/B = C/D), you can use cross-multiplication. For example, to find a missing 'D', the formula would be D = (B × C) / A. Our calculator can solve for any of the four variables.
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