Final answer:
Upon dividing the total number of candy canes by the sum of the parts in the ratio, we find that there are 6 traditional red and white candy canes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question is about determining the number of traditional red and white candy canes given a total of 18 candy canes and a ratio. The ratio of red and white candy canes to not red and white is 1:2, meaning for every 1 red and white candy cane, there are 2 that are not.
To solve this, we need to consider that the total ratio parts are 1 part red and white + 2 parts not red and white, which gives us 3 parts in total. We divide the total number of candy canes (18) by the total ratio parts (3) to find the number of candy canes for 1 part of the ratio. Then, multiply by the 1 part that represents the red and white candy canes.
Step 1: Calculate the number of candy canes per part of the ratio: 18 candy canes / 3 parts = 6 candy canes per part.
Step 2: Since the ratio for red and white candy canes is 1 part, we have 1 * 6 = 6 traditional red and white candy canes.