Final answer:
To use a tape diagram for the given classroom ratio, draw a rectangle divided into 8 parts with 3 parts representing boys and 5 parts representing girls. Each part is equal to 4 students, signifying the ratio of 3:5 in a class of 32 students.
Step-by-step explanation:
To represent the ratio of boys to girls in Janice’s classroom using a tape diagram, begin by understanding that there are 3 parts for every 5 parts representing boys and girls respectively. We know that there are a total of 32 students in the classroom. The sum of the ratio numbers, 3 (boys) + 5 (girls), gives us 8 parts in total. We divide the total number of students, which is 32, by the total number of parts, which is 8, to find out what each part represents: 32 ÷ 8 = 4. This means each part in the ratio represents 4 students. Therefore, the tape diagram will consist of two bars: one bar divided into 3 parts, each part representing 4 boys, and another bar divided into 5 parts, each part representing 4 girls.
A tape diagram is a visual tool that helps you see the parts of a ratio and their relationships. For this situation, each bar in the diagram represents a group in the classroom: the left side for boys and the right side for girls. To create the diagram, draw a long rectangle and divide it into 8 equal parts. Shade in 3 parts on the left side to represent the boys, and 5 parts on the right side to represent the girls. Label each part with the number 4 to show the number of students per part.