Question

In the Ripple River School Orchestra, which consists of students playing either the violin or the cello, the ratio of cellos to violins is 6 to 9. If there is a total of 75 students in the orchestra, how many cellos are there?

A) 15
B) 18
C) 25
D) 30

Answer 1

To find the number of cellos in the orchestra, we use a ratio and proportion to determine the number of violins and then subtract from the total number of students.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the number of cellos in the orchestra, we need to determine the number of violins first. The ratio of cellos to violins is 6 to 9, which can be simplified to 2 to 3. Since the total number of students in the orchestra is 75, we can set up the proportion:

2/3 = x/75

Cross-multiplying, we get:

2 * 75 = 3x

x = 50

So there are 50 violins in the orchestra. To find the number of cellos, we subtract the number of violins from the total number of students:

75 - 50 = 25

Therefore, there are 25 cellos in the orchestra.