Question

In a classroom, the ratio of female students to male students is 9 to 4. If there are 39 students in the classroom the number of female students is how much greater than the number of male students?

Answer 1

According to the information given in the exercise, the ratio of female students to male students is:

`9\colon4`

This ratio can be written as a fraction:

`(9)/(4)`

You know that there are a total of 39 students in the classroom, so you can set up that:

`9+4=13`

Adding the numerator and the denominator, you get a value that represents the total number of students.

Then, you can set up the following proportion:

`(39)/(13)=(f)/(9)`

Where "f" is the number of female students in the classroom.

Solving for "f", you get:

`\begin{gathered} (39)/(13)=(f)/(9) \\ \\ 3=(f)/(9) \\ \\ 3\cdot9=f \\ f=27 \\ \end{gathered}`

The number of male students can be found with this subtraction:

`39-27=12`

There are 12 male students in the classroom.

In order to find how much greater is the number of female students that the number of male students, you can set up the following:

`(27)/(12)=2.25`

The answer is: The number of female students is 2.25 times greater than the number of male students.