← Back to library
Mind MapMath · P5 / P6Ratio

Ratio One-Page Mind Map

See every part of ratio in one glance.

Download PDF

See it

Part to part
BoysGirls2 : 3part : part

Compare one group with another. Order matters.

Part to whole
2 of 5whole = 5 unitsBoys : Total = 2 : 5

Add the parts to see the whole.

Total units
Total 40 shared in 2 : 3888885 units = 401 unit = 40 ÷ 5 = 8

Total ÷ total units = 1 unit.

1

What is Ratio?

A ratio compares two or more quantities using units. Order matters: 2 : 3 is NOT the same as 3 : 2.

2

Part-to-Part

Compares one group to another.

  • Boys : Girls = 2 : 3
  • For every 2 boys there are 3 girls
3

Part-to-Whole

Compares one group to the total.

  • Boys : Total = 2 : 5
  • 2 out of every 5 people are boys
4

Total Units

Add all parts of the ratio to get total units. Then divide the total quantity by units to find 1 unit.

  • Ratio 2 : 3 → Total = 5 units
  • If total = 20, then 1 unit = 4
Common Mistakes
  • Mixing up part-to-part with part-to-whole
  • Forgetting to simplify the final ratio
  • Not checking what each unit represents in the bar model
Teaching Team Tip

Always circle the question first. If it says 'what fraction of the total', you need part-to-whole — not part-to-part.

Worked Example
Try it, then check the steps
Question

The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 2 : 3. There are 20 students altogether. How many boys are there?

Steps
  1. 1Total units = 2 + 3 = 5 units
  2. 25 units = 20 students → 1 unit = 4 students
  3. 3Boys = 2 units = 2 × 4 = 8 boys

What to do next

Learn Ratio

Everything in the library for this topic