Math ratio tables show you the relationship between different ratios. Each table gives you at least one complete set of values to work with, in a row or a column. Math ratio tables that you need to solve always have one value missing from one of the cells in the row. Understanding ratio language and reasoning is part of the sixth grade Common Core Math Standards. Sixth graders working on math ratio tables use the concept of equivalent fractions to find the missing number.
Equivalent fractions contain numbers that equal the same value. For example, the equivalent fractions of eight-sixteenths and four-eighths both reduce to one-half and have the same value.
Locate a row or column in the table that contains values for both cells. When using a horizontal table, locate corresponding rows. When using a vertical table, find corresponding columns.
Find the ratio between the cells in the first and second columns in a vertical table. For a horizontal table, find the ratio between the values in the top and bottom rows. Dividing the larger number by the smaller number gives you the ratio between the two numbers. For example, if one cell contains a four and the other cell contains a two, the ratio is two to one.
Find the value of the remaining missing cells by multiplying the adjacent corresponding columns or rows by the ratio you discovered. Work from the lowest value rows or columns in the table to the highest. For example, in a table with a ratio of two to one, multiple the corresponding cell by two to get the value for the corresponding missing cell.
Tips
References
Tips
- Equivalent fractions contain numbers that equal the same value. For example, the equivalent fractions of eight-sixteenths and four-eighths both reduce to one-half and have the same value.
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Avery Martin holds a Bachelor of Music in opera performance and a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian studies. As a professional writer, she has written for Education.com, Samsung and IBM. Martin contributed English translations for a collection of Japanese poems by Misuzu Kaneko. She has worked as an educator in Japan, and she runs a private voice studio out of her home. She writes about education, music and travel.
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