Ratio Problems · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Solving Ratio Problems

Mathematics · Ratio & Proportion · ages 10-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. For every 2 apples there are 5 oranges. Which pair keeps the same ratio?

    • 4 apples, 10 oranges
    • 4 apples, 8 oranges
    • 2 apples, 8 oranges

  2. A team uses 3 footballs for every 4 tennis balls. With 12 tennis balls out, how many footballs are needed?

    • 12
    • 9
    • 16
    • 7

  3. For every 2 apples there are 5 oranges. If there are 20 oranges, how many apples are there?

    Answer: ______________

  4. A ratio of 3:5 means 3 red beads for every ___ blue beads.

    • 3
    • 5
    • 8

  5. Which statement describes a 3:5 red:blue mix correctly?

    • Red is always 2 less than blue
    • There are always exactly 8 beads
    • Red is always three fifths of blue
    • Blue is always 2 more than red

  6. The ratio of dogs to cats is 4:7. There are 28 cats. How many dogs are there?

    • 4
    • 16
    • 7

  7. Purple paint mixes red and blue in the ratio 3:5. With 25 litres of blue, how many litres of red are needed?

    Answer: ______________

  8. For every 2 apples there are 5 oranges. If there are 20 oranges, how many apples are there?

    Answer: ______________

  9. The ratio of pens to pencils is 2:3, and there are 12 pencils. Sam writes: 12 - 3 = 9, so pens = 2 + 9 = 11. What mistake did Sam make?

    • Sam used the wrong ratio numbers
    • Sam's answer is correct
    • Sam added instead of multiplying by the scale factor

  10. Which pair keeps the ratio 3:5?

    • 6:9
    • 5:3
    • 9:12
    • 6:10
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Solving Ratio Problems W1-mt_h0gJcSuwdL-s1

  1. 4 apples, 10 oranges · 4 apples and 10 oranges is the ratio 2:5 doubled: both numbers multiplied by 2.
  2. 9 · 12 tennis balls make 3 groups of 4, carrying 3 x 3 = 9 footballs.
  3. 8 · 20 oranges make 4 groups of 5, and 4 groups carry 4 x 2 = 8 apples.
  4. 5 · The second number in a ratio tells you the matching amount. Here, 5 blue beads match every 3 red beads.
  5. Red is always three fifths of blue · The multiplicative link is fixed: red = 3/5 of blue in every batch.
  6. 16 · Cats went from 7 to 28, which is x4. Multiply dogs by 4 too: 4 x 4 = 16.
  7. 15 · One part is 25 / 5 = 5 litres, so red needs 3 x 5 = 15 litres.
  8. 8 · Oranges went from 5 to 20, which is x4. So apples: 2 x 4 = 8.
  9. Sam added instead of multiplying by the scale factor · Ratios scale by multiplying, not adding leftovers. Pencils went from 3 to 12 (x4), so pens = 2 x 4 = 8.
  10. 6:10 · Only 6:10 scales both sides by 2; the rest change the multiplier.
Worksheet · LightMySky