Final answer:
The smallest whole number ratio of flour to milk in the pancake recipe is 3:2, achieved by dividing both 12 and 8 by their greatest common divisor, 4.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student wants to know the smallest whole number ratio of flour to milk in a pancake recipe that calls for 12 cups of flour and 8 cups of milk. To find this ratio, we need to simplify the fraction 12/8 by dividing both the numerator (flour) and the denominator (milk) by their greatest common divisor. The greatest common divisor of 12 and 8 is 4. Therefore, when we divide both 12 and 8 by 4, we obtain 3/2. So the smallest whole number ratio of flour to milk is 3:2.