Combining ratios
The Maths Habit
At a swap shop, 3 stickers swap for 2 marbles, and 4 marbles swap for 1 comic.
Sam says a comic is worth 7 stickers. Is Sam right?
No. 4 marbles is two lots of 2 marbles, so two lots of 3 stickers: 6 stickers.
- Ratio
- A comparison of the sizes of two or more amounts.
- Shared part
- The part that is in both ratios.
- Lowest common multiple
- The smallest number that is a multiple of both numbers.
- Line them up.Each ratio in its own row, under its names.
The shared part is in one column. - Make the shared part match.Multiply each ratio so the shared part is the same: the LCM.
- Read off the ratio you want.Simplify it if you can.
Which part is in both ratios?
milk : sugar = 4 : 1 Milk
Do the shared parts already match?
b : c = 4 : 3 Yes: a : b : c = 5 : 4 : 3
Do the shared parts already match?
b : c = 6 : 1 No: 3 and 6
a : b = 3 : 2 and b : c = 4 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 6 : 5
a : b = 1 : 4 and b : c = 2 : 3. Find a : c. a : c = 1 : 6
a : b = 3 : 2 and b : c = 4 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 6 : 5
a : b = 5 : 3 and b : c = 6 : 1. Find a : c. a : c = 10 : 1
a : b = 2 : 3 and b : c = 4 : 5.
3 does not go into 4. What number could both shared parts become?
12, the lowest common multiple of 3 and 4. Multiply the first ratio by 4 and the second by 3.
a : b = 2 : 3 and b : c = 4 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 8 : 15
a : b = 3 : 10 and b : c = 4 : 3. Find a : c. a : c = 2 : 5
a : b = 2 : 3 and b : c = 4 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 8 : 15
a : b = 5 : 4 and b : c = 6 : 7. Find a : c. a : c = 15 : 14
a : b = 2 : 3 and b : c = 4 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 8 : 15
a : b = 7 : 2 and b : c = 6 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 21 : 5
a : b = 2 : 3 and b : c = 4 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 8 : 15
b : c = 4 : 3 and a : b = 5 : 6. Find a : c. a : c = 10 : 9
a : b = 2 : 3 and b : c = 4 : 5. Find a : c. a : c = 8 : 15
a : b = 3 : 4 and b : c = 6 : 5. Find a : b : c. a : b : c = 9 : 12 : 10
Answer sheet
x : y = 2 : 3, y : z = 4 : 5 and x + y + z = 70. Find z.
z = 30a : b = 3 : 4 and a : c = 2 : 5. Find b : c.
8 : 15a : b = 2 : 3, b : c = 5 : 6 and c : d = 4 : 7. Find a : d.
20 : 63
a : b = 3 : 5 and b : c = 10 : 7. Find a : c.
6 : 7a : b = 2 : 3 and b : c = 5 : 4. Find a : c in its simplest form.
5 : 6a : b = 4 : 3 and b : c = 2 : 5. Find a : b : c.
8 : 6 : 15