Algebra Ratios and Proportions Practice Questions

To review these concepts, go to Algebra Ratios and Proportions Study Guide.

Algebra Ratios and Proportions Practice Questions

Practice 1

Answer the following questions.

1. The ratio of red cars to blue cars in a parking lot is 1:6. If there are 36 blue cars, how many red cars are in the lot?
2. The ratio of lemon candies to strawberry candies in a dish is 3:8. If there are 9 lemon candies, how many strawberry candies are in the dish?
3. If the ratio of bass to trout in a pond is 4:5, and there are 135 trout, how many bass are in the pond?
4. If the ratio of basketball players to football players at Roward Middle School is 2:7, and there are 54 total basketball and football players, how many basketball players are there?
5. The ratio of adults to children at a movie is 3:4. If there are 196 people at the movie, how many of them are children?

Practice 2

Answer the following questions

1. The ratio of black pens to blue pens in a box is 7:4. If there are 9 more black pens than blue pens, how many blue pens are there?
2. The ratio of fiction books to nonfiction books on a shelf is 6:5. If there are 4 more fiction books than nonfiction books, how many fiction books are there?
3. The ratio of parents to students on a school trip is 2:9. If the number of students was 6 more than 4 times the number of parents, how many parents went on the trip?

Solutions

Practice 1

1. Write the ratio of red cars to blue cars as a fraction. 1:6 = .

   The number of red cars is unknown, so represent that number with x.

   The ratio of actual red cars to actual blue cars is x:36, or .

   Set these ratios equal to each other, cross multiply, and solve for x:

   

   6x = 36

   x = 6

   There are 6 red cars in the parking lot.

2. Write the ratio of lemon candies to strawberry candies as a fraction. 3:8 = .

   The number of strawberry candies is unknown, so represent that number with x. The ratio of actual lemon candies to actual strawberry candies is 9:x, or .

   Set these ratios equal to each other, cross multiply, and solve for x:

   

   3x = 72

   x = 24

   There are 24 strawberry candies in the dish.

3. Write the ratio of bass to trout as a fraction. 4:5 = .

   The number of bass is unknown, so represent that number with x. The ratio of actual bass to actual trout is x:135, or .

   Set these ratios equal to each other, cross multiply, and solve for x:

   

   5x = 540

   x = 108

   There are 108 bass in the pond.

4. The ratio of basketball players to football players is 2:7, which means that the ratio of basketball players to total players is 2:(2 + 7) = 2:9. Write this ratio as a fraction:

   The number of basketball players is unknown, so represent that number with x. The ratio of actual basketball players to actual total players is x:54, or .

   Set these ratios equal to each other, cross multiply, and solve for x:

   

   9x = 108

   x = 12

   There are 12 basketball players at Roward Middle School.

5. The ratio of adults to children is 3:4, which means that the ratio of children to total people is 4:(3 + 4) = 4:7. Write this ratio as a fraction. 4:7 = .

   The number of children is unknown, so represent that number with x. The ratio of actual children to actual people is x:196, or .

   Set these ratios equal to each other, cross multiply, and solve for x:

   

   7x = 784

   x = 112

   There are 112 children at the movie.