Question

A model boat is 6 1/4 wide. The actual boat is 12 1/2 ft wide. What is the ratio of the width of the model boat to the width of actual boat. Please include steps

Answer 1

the ratio is simply one divided by the other, so let's firstly convert the mixed fractions to improper fractions.

`\bf  \stackrel{mixed}{6(1)/(4)}\implies \cfrac{6\cdot 4+1}{4}\stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{25}{4}}~\hfill \stackrel{mixed}{12(1)/(2)}\implies \cfrac{12\cdot 2+1}{2}\implies \stackrel{improper}{\cfrac{25}{2}} \\\\[-0.35em] \rule{34em}{0.25pt}\\\\ \cfrac{model}{actual}\qquad \cfrac{~~(25)/(4)~~}{(25)/(2)}\implies \cfrac{25}{4}\cdot \cfrac{2}{25}\implies \cfrac{25}{25}\cdot \cfrac{2}{4}\implies 1\cdot \cfrac{1}{2}\implies \cfrac{1}{2}\implies \stackrel{ratio}{1~:~2}`