Question

You collect a total of $75 in donations from three people. The three donations are in the ratio 4 : 4 : 7. (hint: set up an equation first)

Answer 1

Explanation:

Since the ratio is 4x:4x:7x, if we add all those numbers up we get 15. Then we do 75/15 to get what x equals. So we get 5. So x equals 5. Following the rules of multiplication, you do 4(5):4(5):7(5), and simplifying that further, you get 20:20:35. If we add all those values up, we should get 75, and we do!

If you're wondering why I did 4x:4x:7x instead of 4:4:7, it's because a ratio is just a...well ratio? It's easier to visualize if you put a variable because the variable could be anything, and you would have to multiply all the given values to get the same proportions. In summery, I did it so it was easier to visualize