10Ratios and Proportions
When someone says you're blowing things way out of proportion, what does that mean? Way out of proportion to what? What is a proportion? As we study this chapter, we will come to understand the meaning and implications of ratios and proportions.
Throughout this chapter, we'll be using ideas from Chapter 7, “Fractions,” so make sure you're comfortable with that.
1 RATIOS
Before we can discuss proportions, we must examine ratios. If someone says, I'll give you three to one on my team beating your team in the World Series, what does that person mean?
Three to one, or 3:1, is a ratio. If someone gives you 3 to 1 on a bet, it's his $3 to your $1. For non-gamblers, imagine you put your $1 and he puts his $3 into a pot. ...
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