How do you simplify a ratio?
Write the parts as whole numbers over a common denominator, then divide by their greatest common factor. 2:4 becomes 1:2. 1/2:1/4 becomes 2:1. Up to six parts are allowed.
Simplify a ratio, solve one missing term in a proportion, or scale every part.
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A ratio is a comparison, not a fraction you have to turn into a decimal. Dividing every part by the same positive factor keeps the relationship. The first non-zero part keeps its sign, so a negative mix stays negative instead of being flipped into a different order.
Two zeros in a longer ratio can remain. 0:0:5 becomes 0:0:1. A ratio whose every part is zero does not describe a mix, so it is rejected.
Cross-multiplication is the whole trick for a missing term. If 2:4 = 3:d, then 2d = 12 and d = 6. The steps name the missing letter and the division. If you fill every box, the page compares the two ratios and says whether they match.
Scaling is multiplication, which is what a recipe needs when you triple it. Use a fraction factor to cut a mix in half. The percentage calculator is the better page when you are taking a percent off a price rather than resizing a ratio.
Related on UtilGenie: Math calculators, Percentage Calculator, Fraction Calculator, Slope Calculator, Volume Calculator.
Simplify parts, solve a proportion, or scale a mix.
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Write the parts as whole numbers over a common denominator, then divide by their greatest common factor. 2:4 becomes 1:2. 1/2:1/4 becomes 2:1. Up to six parts are allowed.
A proportion says two ratios are equal, a:b = c:d. Leave one box empty. The page cross-multiplies and divides by the remaining partner. Fill all four to check whether the proportion is already true.
A known denominator of zero makes the ratio undefined, and the page says so. Zero as a numerator is allowed, so 0:5 simplifies to 0:1. Negatives are kept, so −4:6 simplifies to −2:3.
Multiply every part by the same factor. 1:2 scaled by 3 is 3:6. A factor of 1/2 yields 1/2:1. The steps also show the simplified form of the scaled ratio. An empty factor is rejected.
Yes. 3/4 and mixed numbers such as 1 1/2 are exact. A blank part is skipped when you simplify, but you need at least two parts. All-zero ratios are rejected.
A ratio compares parts with each other. A percentage compares one number with 100. Use the percentage calculator when the question is “what percent,” and this page when the question is “a to b.”
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