Final answer:
Ratio 1, which has 12 parts black to 10 parts white, will produce a lighter shade of gray compared to Ratio 2, with 3 parts black to 1 part white, because it has a lower proportion of black to white.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing the two given ratios to determine which ratio will produce a lighter shade of gray, we look at the proportion of white to black in each mix. A lighter color, which is a tint, is created by adding more white to the mix, whereas adding more black creates a darker color, which is a shade.
Ratio 1 has 12 parts black to 10 parts white, this gives us a proportion of 6 parts black for every 5 parts white when simplified. In contrast, Ratio 2 has 3 parts black to 1 part white, which equates to a proportion of 3 parts black for every 1 part white. It is clear that Ratio 2 has a higher proportion of black to white compared to Ratio 1.
The ratio that has more white relative to black will produce a lighter shade of gray. Therefore, Ratio 1, with 12 parts black to 10 parts white, will result in a lighter shade of gray than Ratio 2, which has 3 parts black to only 1 part white.