Final answer:
The simplest ratio of squares to total shapes, given there are 16 circles and 12 squares, is 3:7 after dividing both the number of squares and total shapes by their greatest common divisor.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the simplest ratio of squares to total shapes, we first need to determine the total number of shapes. We have 16 circles and 12 squares, so the total shapes will be 16 + 12, which equals 28 shapes. Now, we will express the ratio of squares to total shapes. We have 12 squares out of 28 total shapes, which gives us the ratio 12:28. To simplify this ratio, we can divide both numbers by their greatest common divisor, which is 4. Therefore, 12 ÷ 4 is 3 and 28 ÷ 4 is 7. Thus, the simplest ratio of squares to total shapes is 3:7.