Final answer:
To determine the proportion of a ratio between a larger and smaller number, divide the larger by the smaller. A proportion shows the equivalence of two ratios, such as 1/2 = 3/6. Ratios can also be related to unit rates and scales, as seen in measurements like speed or map scales.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the proportion in the ratio of two numbers where one is larger and one is smaller, you will divide the larger number by the smaller number. For example, if the larger number is 8 and the smaller number is 2, the ratio would be 8:2 which simplifies to 4:1 as a proportion. This means for every 1 of the smaller number, there are 4 of the larger number.
Ratios can be expressed in different forms such as fractions, decimals, or with a colon. For instance, a ratio of 2 to 3 can be written as 2/3, 2:3, or "2 to 3". When these ratios are equivalent, they form what is known as a proportion. An example of a proportion is 1/2 = 3/6, which shows two equal ratios. Proportions are useful when working with scales, such as maps or models, where unit scale indicates thea ratio of the actual object's size to its representation's size, like 1 inch = 100 feet, which would be written as 1 inch/100 ft.
Unit rates involve a comparison where one of the numbers is 1. They describe how much of something occurs per one unit of something else, such as speed being measured in miles per hour, like 55 miles per hour (55/1).