Final answer:
To find an equivalent ratio, multiply or divide both terms by the same non-zero number. For instance, the ratio 4:6 can become 8:12 or 2:3 when multiplied or divided by 2, respectively. This principle is applied in scale models and dose calculations in health sciences.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find an equivalent ratio for ratios that do not start with 1, like 3:4, 4:6, or 5:6, you first determine a common scale factor to multiply or divide both terms of the ratio. Equivalent ratios maintain the same relationship between numbers after they have been scaled by this factor. Consider the ratio 4:6; to find an equivalent ratio, you might multiply both numbers by 2 to get 8:12, or divide them by 2 to get 2:3.
For a ratio like 3:4, potential equivalent ratios could be found by multiplying both terms by any whole number. For instance, multiplying by 2 gives us 6:8, and by 3 gives us 9:12, all are equivalent to the original ratio. Remember that the key is to multiply or divide both terms of the original ratio by the same non-zero number to maintain the proportionality.
An application of equivalent ratios can be found in unit scales, such as in map reading or creating scale models, where the scale represents the ratio of the size of the drawing or model to the size of the actual object. Equivalent ratios are also used in various fields like health sciences for dose calculations which are expressed as proportions.