Calculating Ratio

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Ratio Calculator & Simplifier

Easily simplify and compare ratios between two values

Results:

Simplified Ratio:

Decimal Form:

Percentage:

Please enter valid numbers in both fields.

How to Calculate a Ratio

A ratio is a mathematical comparison of two different numbers. It shows how many times one value contains another or how they relate in terms of size. Ratios are used in everything from mixing concrete and baking recipes to screen resolutions and financial analysis.

The Simplification Process

To simplify a ratio (like 10:20 into 1:2), you follow these steps:

  1. Identify the two numbers you want to compare (A and B).
  2. Find the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD)—the largest number that divides into both values evenly.
  3. Divide both numbers by that GCD.
  4. If the numbers are decimals, multiply both by 10, 100, or 1000 first to convert them to whole numbers before finding the GCD.

Example Calculation

Suppose you have a screen that is 1440 pixels wide and 900 pixels high. To find the aspect ratio:

  • Values: 1440 and 900
  • GCD of 1440 and 900 is 180
  • 1440 ÷ 180 = 8
  • 900 ÷ 180 = 5
  • Result: 8:5 aspect ratio

Ratios in Real Life

Understanding ratios helps in various fields:

  • Cooking: A rice-to-water ratio might be 1:2, meaning for every 1 cup of rice, you need 2 cups of water.
  • Chemistry: Ratios determine the concentration of solutes in a solution.
  • Finance: The Debt-to-Equity ratio compares what a company owes to what it owns.
  • Design: The "Golden Ratio" (roughly 1.618:1) is used to create aesthetically pleasing layouts.
function calculateRatio() { var a = document.getElementById('valA').value; var b = document.getElementById('valB').value; var output = document.getElementById('ratioOutput'); var error = document.getElementById('errorMessage'); if (a === "" || b === "" || parseFloat(a) <= 0 || parseFloat(b) <= 0) { output.style.display = 'none'; error.style.display = 'block'; return; } error.style.display = 'none'; var valA = parseFloat(a); var valB = parseFloat(b); // Handle decimals by scaling up var getPrecision = function(n) { var s = n.toString(); var d = s.indexOf('.'); return d === -1 ? 0 : s.length – d – 1; }; var precision = Math.max(getPrecision(valA), getPrecision(valB)); var factor = Math.pow(10, precision); var intA = Math.round(valA * factor); var intB = Math.round(valB * factor); // Greatest Common Divisor function var findGCD = function(x, y) { x = Math.abs(x); y = Math.abs(y); while(y) { var t = y; y = x % y; x = t; } return x; }; var common = findGCD(intA, intB); var simpleA = intA / common; var simpleB = intB / common; // Display Simplified Ratio document.getElementById('simplifiedDisplay').innerText = simpleA + " : " + simpleB; // Decimal form (A/B) var decimalForm = (valA / valB).toFixed(4); document.getElementById('decimalDisplay').innerText = (valA / valB) % 1 === 0 ? (valA / valB) : decimalForm; // Percentage of total var total = valA + valB; var percA = ((valA / total) * 100).toFixed(2); var percB = ((valB / total) * 100).toFixed(2); document.getElementById('percentageDisplay').innerText = "A is " + percA + "% and B is " + percB + "% of the total."; output.style.display = 'block'; }

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