# Homework Help: Help with ratios

1. Oct 25, 2005

### TSN79

Hi!
I have a supposedly simple question. Two people are splitting 500 bucks between them. First it will be split in a 3/5 ratio. Wouldn't the answer just be that one them gets 200 and the other gets 300? I think so.

So, following this last thought, if it is to be split in a 2/3 ratio, wouldn't one get 500*(2/3)=333,33 and then the rest (166,66) goes to the other one?

2. Oct 25, 2005

### Jameson

How did you arrive at your first answer? And for the numbers you gave, do they reveal a ratio of 3:5?

I'll add on to my post a little bit. For the first part, you are supposed to give two values that up to 500, and who's ratio's are 3:5. That means that once you get your two numbers, they should reduce down to 3/5.

How about looking at it like this?

$$x+y=500$$
$$\frac{x}{y}=\frac{3}{5}$$

Last edited: Oct 25, 2005
3. Oct 25, 2005

### TSN79

Well, in the first case I take 500*(3/5)=300. And the rest (200) goes to the other guy. Apparently the answer to the second one is that they get 312,5 and 187,5. I don't get that.

4. Oct 25, 2005

### Jameson

Look at the above post for a hint. Once you understand the process, apply the same method to your second problem.

5. Oct 25, 2005

### TSN79

Hey thanks. So am I interpreting the concept of ratio wrong? Doesn't 3/5 mean that one is to get 3/5 of the sum, and the remaining 2/5 goes to the other?

6. Oct 25, 2005

### Jameson

It means that for every 3 parts of x, y will have 5 parts, where $$\frac{x}{y}=\frac{3}{5}$$

Use the method I showed you in my first post to solve the question. You can't just multiply the sum by the ratio.

7. Oct 26, 2005

### HallsofIvy

No, it doesn't. That's a "2 to 3" ratio. "3 to 5" ratio would be 3/8 and 5/8.