Why do we use division when we use per something?

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Using division or fractions to express "per something" reflects the underlying ratio of quantities. For instance, "three per hundred" translates to 3 out of 100, represented as a fraction (3/100) or a ratio (3:100). This terminology indicates a relationship where one quantity is divided by another, such as in "6 percent," which means 6 out of 100. Similarly, units like miles per hour illustrate how division conveys the relationship between distance and time. The term "per" inherently signifies both division and fraction, clarifying these relationships.
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Why do we use division/fractions to represent per something?
 
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Three per hundred, for example, means 3 out of 100, so we can write it as a ratio, 3:100, or a fraction, 3/100
 
3 per hundred is 3:97.
 
pasmith said:
3 per hundred is 3:97.
Ah yes, good catch. I should have said "three out of a hundred, or 3/100"
 
phinds said:
Three per hundred, for example, means 3 out of 100, so we can write it as a ratio, 3:100, or a fraction, 3/100
Doesn't really answer my question. I am asking why that is.
 
Cash Fulton said:
Doesn't really answer my question. I am asking why that is.
Why it is, is because of what the words mean. When we say, for example, 6 per cent (literally 6 per 100) we are expressing a ratio: ##\frac 6 {100}##. It's similar for units such as mph (miles per hour). We are talking about a ratio of miles driven per (divided by) the time in hours.
 
"per" distinctly indicates both DIVISION and FRACTION.
 

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