Question

In 2001, 32 out of 80 members of New Jersey's House of Representatives were Democrats and 25 out of 60 members of Oregon's House of Representatives were Democrats. For each state, write a fraction for the number of Democrats in the House to the total number of House members. Which state had a greater fraction of Democrats in its House of Representatives?

Answer 1

Answer: Oregon

Explanation:

For New Jersey:

Number of house of Representatives members = 80

Number of Democrats = 32

Fraction = 32/80 = 2/5

For Oregon:

Number of house of Representatives members = 60

Number of Democrats = 25

Fraction = 25/60 = 5/12

The state that has a greater fraction of Democrats in its House of Representatives is Oregon. This is because 5/12 is greater than 2/5.