A ratio expresses a relationship between quantities — how much of one thing compared to another. They appear in cooking, mixing, business profit splits, map scales and any situation where proportions matter.
Reading and Writing Ratios
A 3:2 ratio means "for every 3 of the first thing, there are 2 of the second."
- A paint mix of 3:2 (blue to white) uses 3 parts blue for every 2 parts white.
- A profit split of 2:3 between partners means one gets 2 parts for every 3 the other gets.
Simplifying a Ratio
Like fractions, ratios simplify by dividing by the GCD.
- 15:10 → GCD is 5 → 3:2
- 24:16 → GCD is 8 → 3:2
These are equivalent — they describe the same proportion.
Dividing an Amount in a Ratio
This is the most common real-world ratio task.
Example: Split Rs 10,000 in a ratio of 3:2 between two partners.
- Total shares: 3 + 2 = 5
- Value of one share: 10,000 ÷ 5 = 2,000
- First partner: 3 × 2,000 = Rs 6,000
- Second partner: 2 × 2,000 = Rs 4,000
- Check: 6,000 + 4,000 = 10,000 ✓
Scaling Recipes (The Same Idea)
A recipe for 4 people uses 200g flour. How much for 6 people?
Ratio of people: 6:4 = 3:2
New flour: 200 × (6/4) = 200 × 1.5 = 300g
Or: 200 ÷ 4 = 50g per person × 6 = 300g.
Three-Way Ratios
Split Rs 9,000 in ratio 2:3:4:
- Total shares: 2 + 3 + 4 = 9
- One share: 9,000 ÷ 9 = 1,000
- Parts: Rs 2,000 : Rs 3,000 : Rs 4,000
Using the Calculator
The Ratio Calculator simplifies ratios, divides amounts and scales proportions. For finding the GCD needed to simplify, see how to find the LCM and GCD of numbers. For percentage-based splits, see how to calculate percentages quickly.
Ratios in Pakistani Business Context
Ratios appear in partnerships (profit split between partners), manufacturing (ingredient proportions), construction (concrete mix ratios like 1:2:4 cement:sand:aggregate), and finance (debt-to-equity ratios for banks). In each case, the arithmetic is the same: identify the total shares, find the value of one share, and multiply for each part. For quick ratio simplification and splitting, Ratio Calculator handles these directly. For percentage-based splits, Percentage Calculator is the companion tool.
