Since this is pretty much just an arithmetic problem, I have moved it to "PreCalculus".
lorik said:
Homework Statement
I desperately need to know something which I consider basic but yet I get different answers all the time
for example ratio A:G=1:3 or A:G=1:2 or A:G=1:4
some students are telling me that the ratios should be divided with one another like 1/3=0.33 to get the percebtage of A and the percentage of B ,while some other are implying this 1+3=4~ 1/4=0.25
I really have to know how to correctly give percentage to each symbol .BTW all the numbers start with A:B=1:X so number 1 is always present .Thank you
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
What you have written really makes no sense. You have several ratios, of "A" to "G" and then ask about "percentage of A" and "percentage of B". Did you mean ratios of "A" to "
B" instead of "G". And A and B as a percentage of
what? That seems to be your fundamental problem- you do not realize that it makes no sense to talk about a "percentage" without specifying a base. If, for example, you were to divide a line segment into two intervals, of length A and B, then it would make sense to ask what percentage
of the whole interval each of A and B is. In that case the "base" is the whole interval which has length A+ B. If A:B= 1:X then the "whole" is X+1 so find the fractions A/(X+1) and B/(X+ 1) and convert to decimals and then to percenjtages. For example, in your first case, A:B= 1:3. X= 3 so X+ 1= 4. A/(X+ 1)= 1/4= 0.25= 25% and B/(X+ 1)= 3/4= 0.75= 75%.
That is my
guess as to what you mean. It would also make sense to ask what percentage
of B A is. In that case we would form the fraction A/B. If we are given A:B= 1:3, then A/B= 1/3= .3333... = 33+1/3%.
Those are completely different questions and have different answers. Whenever you talk a percentage, you
must state the base or the question makes no sense.