What is the difference between fraction and ratio

Already registered? Log in with your LearnZillion account: Email. Stay signed in. I forgot my password. Instructional video Archived. Instructional video Additional materials About this video. Press ESC or click here to exit full screen. When we use a fraction to represent a ratio between two, it is only a symbol. It is not equals to the value get by division. The value of this division is equals to 0.

What is the difference between Fraction and Ratio? Your email address will not be published. Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management. For instance, you could have 0 parts lemon juice to 5 parts water. One can have ratios between more than 2 quantities.

The ratio , as in 1 part sugar, 2 parts lemon juice, and 5 parts water makes perfect sense. This ratio would be equivalent to since the proportions are the same , but there is no single associated fraction. First of all, I would leave out ratios entirely, if possible. They aren't as expressive as fractions are, and fractions are more widely used.

You could emphasize the difference in operations on both: adding ratios is simple, adding fractions is not. Multiplying fractions, or a fraction with a number makes sense, multiplying ratios doesn't.

Another key is proper use of language to make clear what is being compared: The ratio of the number of one thing to another number of things, versus the fraction of a number of things of a total number of things.

By itself, the word ratio is indeed rather opaque and should probably be avoided. Here is what "is under the hood and usually goes without saying". In other words, the idea of proportion was meant to reduce the measure of "quantity" of stuff which they couldn't do to the measure of "quantity" of sets which they could do. From my by now very remote experience with 5 graders, I think that the above distinction, measuring sets versus measuring continuous stuff which, by the way, requires the introduction of units.

Warning : what follows may be a bit off-topic but is tightly related to the question. The trouble comes when we want to look at a fraction as indicative of a measure the same way as when we look at a natural number as indicative of a measure. For instance, when we look at and we immediately see that the first is larger than the second. Not so immediately with fractions.

That we have rules for dealing with the code , e. While spending a whole chapter 7 on infinite decimals , Gowers never even mentions real numbers. And, appropriately recast, the content of Gowers' Chapter 7 should be accessible to 5 grader. Rice is made with 1 part rice 2 parts water. The ratio is rice:water. Or, as is often the case, you have an odd amount of rice, use twice that amount of water. I once saw my sister fill a 1 cup measure with rice, throw away the rest, and then add 2 cups of water.

It wasn't enough for a "recipe". We use for Margarita's as well. Mathematically there really is no difference. The words "fraction" and "ratio" simply express the concept of dividing one number by another, and are used pretty much interchangeably in mathematics. They need not refer to comparing a part to a whole. The words "fraction" and "ratio" are also used with reference to division of complex, and hypercomplex numbers, where the concept of a part to a whole is completely meaningless.

One difference in how the words are used is that the word "fraction" is often used to represent a specific representation of a ratio. You might also run across phrases like "when dividing two complex numbers, first write the ratio as a fraction with a real denominator. Example - 5 boys and 3 girls in a class.

The basic difference is Ratio is always with respect to some large quantities or superior quantities, whereas proportion is between same kind of quantities. Relation between division and fraction have to be understood to understand the relationship between fraction and ratio: 1.

Fraction: It is how many times the denominator in numerator or how many parts of denominator in numerator. And it is a fraction for one in numerator. All are written in fraction form with same value. Division and Fractions have applications in daily life where as ratio being an another form of division and fraction does not find place in daily life applications. Therefore ratio is not an independent entity but a name to refer how many times in a division in context.

Probably it is good idea not to teach ratio as an independent entity. Therefore ratio is an application of fractions like percentage, rebate, loss and profit. They all use the properties of equivalent fractions. Proportion too is an equivalent fraction. The denominator is always a 'whole'.

While comparing two items one of them should be taken as whole and other as part of the whole. I'm not sure how you would translate the following into the language of year-olds, but the teacher should first understand this much:. Focusing on the difference between the abstract concept of a ratio and a fraction is likely to confuse students who are just learning these concepts.

The goal should be that they eventually understand and become skilled with the abstraction a fraction. The concept being abstract means, that it can be applied in a wide variety situations and can be used as a model for many concrete examples. The key to understanding is eventually seeing what is common between seemingly different things.