IXL | Compare ratios: word problems

Dominic is buying supplies for his poetry class. He likes to write his poems in black ink, then decorate the pages with colorful drawings. The Mega Writer pack has 6 colored pens and 9 black pens. The Mini Writer pack has 3 colored pens and 6 black pens. Do the packs have the same ratio of colored pens to black pens?

yes

ref_doc_title.

Learn with an example

question

yes

key idea

A ratio is a comparison of two numbers that have the same unit of measurement.

solution

To check if the packs have the same ratio of colored pens to black pens, start by finding the ratio for each pack.

The Mega Writer pack has 6 colored pens and 9 black pens. The ratio of colored pens to black pens is

The Mini Writer pack has 3 colored pens and 6 black pens. The ratio of colored pens to black pens is

Now check if the ratios are equal. You can rewrite

and

using a common denominator that is a multiple of 9 and 6, like 18.

You can also start by simplifying

and

Then, rewrite

and

using a common denominator.

Both ways show that

and

are not

equal.

So, the packs do not have the same ratio of colored pens to black pens.

Looking for more? Try these:

Lesson: Ratios

$Confetti$

Excellent!

Now entering the Challenge Zone—are you ready?

Questions
answeredQuestions

Time
elapsedTime

hr	min	sec
00	00	02

SmartScore
out of 100
IXL's SmartScore is a dynamic measure of progress towards mastery, rather than a percentage grade. It tracks your skill level as you tackle progressively more difficult questions. Consistently answer questions correctly to reach excellence (90), or conquer the Challenge Zone to achieve mastery (100)! Learn more

Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

Equivalent ratios: word problems

Convert fractions to decimals

Lesson: Ratios

Excellent! You got that right!

Jumping to level 1 of 1

Excellent!