In mathematics, a ratio is a relationship between two numbers of the same kind[1] (i.e., objects, persons, students, spoonfuls, units of whatever identical dimension), usually expressed as "a to b" or a:b.
The ratio of numbers A and B can be expressed as:[4]
- the ratio of A to B
- A is to B
- A:B
The numbers A and B are sometimes called terms with A being the antecedent and B being the consequent.
The quantities being compared in a ratio might be physical quantities such as speed, or may simply refer to amounts of particular objects.
A common example of the latter case is the weight ratio of water to cement used in concrete, which is commonly stated as 1:4. This means that the weight of cement used is four times the weight of water used. It does not say anything about the total amounts of cement and water used, nor the amount of concrete being made.
Older televisions have a 4:3 ratio, which means that the height is 3/4 of the width. Widescreen TVs have a 16:9 ratio, which means that the width is nearly double the height.
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