Ratio - Vocabulary

The concept of ratio is a fundamental aspect of mathematics, particularly for Year 6 students, who learn to understand the quantitative relationship between two amounts. A ratio describes how one value relates to another, such as the ratio of cats to dogs being 2 to 1. This means for every two cats, there is one dog. The term 'ratio' can also refer to a phrase used to compare amounts, for example, stating "For every child with brown hair, there are two with blonde hair." It is essential to grasp that a ratio is a number that expresses a quantity, which can be represented by numerals or words, like forty-five.

In addition to the basic definition, the vocabulary associated with ratios includes terms like 'compare', which means to examine the similarities and differences between two things, such as the amounts of liquid in different glasses. 'Fraction' and 'numerator' are also part of ratio vocabulary; a fraction represents a part of a whole with the numerator indicating the number of parts. For example, in the fraction 1/4, the numerator is 1, meaning there is one part out of four. Understanding the 'denominator' is equally important, as it denotes the number of equal parts a number is divided into. In ratios, the order of parts is crucial, and the ratio symbol is a colon, such as 1:3, which means "for every one cow, there are three sheep." Other related terms include 'calculate', 'bar models', 'represent', 'part', 'whole', 'scale factor', 'shape', '2D', 'enlargement', 'double', 'triple', 'angle', 'size', 'multiplication', 'division', 'length', and 'width', each with its specific relevance to the concept of ratio in mathematical contexts.