Understanding Math Ratios

Video Transcript

"So, how does one understand math ratios? Hi, I'm Jimmy Chang. I have been teaching college mathematics for nine years now, and to understand math ratios can be a very straightforward thing, as long as you don't over-analyze things too much. Because, as long as you understand the definition of a ratio you'll see that you can compare just about anything that you want. Now, a ratio can is a fraction where you can compare any two variables. As long as there's a relationship between the variables you can convert it into any fraction any way you want. You can invert it, but you have to be consistent in your decisions. So, here's a little case in point. Suppose you have two eggs to three trucks. Now, sounds far fetched, but the fact of the matter is you are making a comparison. You can compare just about any things you want, and then you can write a ratio from there and turn it into anything number related. You can either choose to compare eggs to trucks or trucks to eggs, depending on the situation. So, assuming if you want to compare eggs to trucks then you're makin' a a decision that eggs'll be on top and trucks will be on the bottom. All you have to do is plug in the numbers that go with those things. So, eggs has two; trucks has three, so one ratio that you can make is two thirds. Now, if on the other hand if you decide to do it the other way around; compare trucks to eggs, plug in the same numbers, but the order would be slightly reversed, so trucks has three; eggs has two. The bottom line is with math ratios you can create them as long as you can determine the relationship, and once you do that the possibilities are endless. So, I'm Jimmy Chang, and that's an example as to how you understand math ratios."