How to Change Ratios to Fractions

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Steve Jones and I'm going to talk about turning ratios in to fractions. Now here we can see a ratio, typically six to one as they say. And here we can see our fraction one seventh. Now you might wonder why one seventh, why not one sixth. That is one of the big differences between ratios and fractions. Very often with ratios we're talking about the different amounts of the different parts. Whereas when we talk about fractions we're talking about how much one represents of the whole. So, for example if we're talking about six oranges and one apple, we're talking about a ration of six oranges to one apple, there might be twelve oranges and two apples, but it's six to one the ratio. But when we're talking about a fraction, we're more likely to talk about the number of apples compared with the total number. And that's why the fraction looks different from the ratio. So although I could still have a ratio one to six or one sixth, where this was the ratio of apples to oranges. But this is less common fractions. So when I'm converting ratio, what I have to first of all decide is what fraction I want to represent. Do I want it as a fraction of the whole? Or do I want it of one as a fraction of the other? And with fractions I would tend to go over the total number. So this is why here when I say oranges and apples, six plus one is seven. So, that's six plus one is getting my seven. And the one is the fraction of oranges, excuse me, apples. If I want a fraction of oranges, of course it will be different. It will be six of the seven. And this makes more sense if I do it this way. So when dealing with ratios you're normally talking about the ratio of one part to another part. When you're talking about fractions, you're talking about one part of the whole. So be careful, make sure you know which you're trying to explain and use the right form."