GMAT Math Ratio Overview
Ratios show up on the GMAT in a number of formats. There are some questions that explicitly ask about ratios. These questions are usually pretty straightforward. Perhaps of greater interest are the questions for which ratios or a related concept can be used to solve, but in which the word ratio is never mentioned. For example, many data sufficiency questions have a statement that provides a ratio between two variables. In a large percentage of cases, this type of statement will be sufficient because a ratio innately provides more information about two variables than one would expect.
We will begin our discussion with a look at the basics of ratio.
A ratio is a number (like a fraction) that compares two numbers by division. The ratio of a to b may be written in different ways such as a to b, or a : b, or a ÷ b, or a / b. The numbers a and b are called the terms of the ratio.
When you discuss the ratio between different things you are relating the quantity of one of those things to the other. Ratios are usually represented as fractions or with colons.
Since a ratio a : b is a fraction a / b, the term b cannot be zero.
Ratios can be treated just like fractions. Since the fraction a / b is different from the fraction b / a, the order of the terms in a ratio is important.
For example, the ratio of the number of sides in a pentagon to the number of sides in an octagon is 5 : 8 and not 8 : 5.
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GMAT Math Ratio Example Question
Q. A computer printer can print 400 sheets in 30 minutes. How many hours are required to print 1000 sheets?
Ans: 12.5 - Option B
GMAT Arithmetic Topics
Below are the topics covered under GMAT Arithmetic. Click on them to learn more:
Related Topics
GMAT Math Arithmetic | GMAT Math Algebra | GMAT Math Geometry | GMAT Math Data Sufficiency | GMAT Math Problem Solving
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