Fractions and Ratios

     The only time fractions and ratios are the same, it is when you are comparing a part of a whole. They would be similar to each other because the fraction would be part of a whole over a whole, while the ratio is part of the whole next to the whole. That is how fractions and ratios are similar. 

     They can also be different. A ratio usually is comparing a part to a part. For example, if I was hosting a birthday party, ad there were 12 girls and 16 boys, there would be 3 girls for every 4 boys or 3:4. Since 12 and 16 have 4 as a common factor, I would divide both 12 and 16 by 4 to get 3 and 4, so there is 3 girls for every 4 boys. Fractions on the other hand compare parts to a whole. Since there are 28 kids in total, 12/28 of the kids are girls and 16/28 of the kids are boys.

     One place you might need to use fractions is when your cooking. When a recipe says 1/4 cup of sugar or 2/3 cup of water, it means a fraction of a cup. A part of a whole. You need to be able to know your fractions to know how to cook because it'll say something like " 3 2/3 cup of flour," and you would know, but without fractions, you won't have the right measurements to cook. It is 100% necessary, you will need fractions in the future.

     You will need ratios when you are in science because when your teacher will say "You need 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen to make a water molecule, and since it is a ratio, you know that oxygen can't be by itself so it is 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms combined together to make 2 H2O atoms where each is 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen. You will need ratios in the future.