The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 2:4. If there are 24 students total in the class, how many of them are boys?

2 Answers
Feb 26, 2018

There are #8# boys

Explanation:

Firstly, we can simplify the ratio of boys to girls to #1:2#.

Then, to find out how many students each ratio represents, we add up #1# and #2# to get #3# (#1+2=3#).

By dividing #3# by the number of students, we can find how many students ONE ratio represents: #24/3=8#.

So ONE ratio is equal to #8# boys. Since our simplified ratio of boys to girls is #1:2# already, we do not have to do further multiplying - the number of boys is simply #8#.

For the girls, simply multiply #2# by #8# to get #16.#

Check: #8# #"boys"# #+18# #"girls"## = 24# #"students"#.

Feb 26, 2018

#8#

Explanation:

Multiply every number by #4#.

If two boys and four girls gives a class size of six, then keeping the #1:2# ratio, #8:16# gives a class size of #24#.

An easy way to think of it is in fractions

#2/4 = 1/2#

but #2# is really #1+1#. Now you have three students, so every ratio has to give a class size that's #3x#. If

#3x=24#

then you can just divide by #3# to give you your answer because the boy's is one-third of the entire class. To find the girls, it's #2:3#, or #1.5#.

Just divide #24# by #1.5# to find your #x# value #(16)#. To double check our answer, does

#8+16=24?#

and does

#8/16 = 1/2" " ?#