Question

The length of a rectangle is 8 1/2 inches and the width is 3 1/4 inches. What is the ratio, using whole numbers, of the length to the width?

Answer 1

Short answer 34/13
Start by converting both to improper fractions.

8 1/2 = (2*8 + 1)/2 = 17/2

3 1/4 = (3*4 + 1)/4 = 13/4

Next set up a 4 layer fraction


`((17)/(2))/((13)/(4) )`

Invert the lower fraction and multiply
`(17)/(2)* (4)/(13)`

Cancel the 2 and the 4 leaving you with a 2 in the numerator.
`(17*2)/(13) =(34)/(13)`