Ratio Calculator
Simplify ratios, scale ratios, and solve ratio proportions. Find equivalent ratios and the fourth proportional in ratio problems.
6 values
Mean (Average)
24
Median
18.5
Sum
144
Count
6
Min
8
Max
47
About the Ratio Calculator
A ratio expresses the relative sizes of two or more quantities and appears in countless real-world contexts — cooking recipes, map scales, financial analysis, construction blueprints, and camera aspect ratios. Our ratio calculator simplifies ratios to their lowest terms, scales ratios up or down, and solves proportion problems where one value is unknown.
Formula
Proportion: a/b = c/d → d = (b × c) ÷ a
How It Works
Simplifying: divide all terms by their GCF. Ratio 12:8 → GCF = 4 → simplified = 3:2. Scaling: multiply all terms by the same factor. Proportion: if a/b = c/d, then d = b × c / a (cross multiplication). For example, if a recipe for 4 serves uses 3 cups flour, how much for 6 servings? 4/3 = 6/x → x = 6 × 3 / 4 = 4.5 cups.
Tips & Best Practices
- ✓Always reduce ratios to their simplest form before comparing — 8:12 and 2:3 are the same ratio.
- ✓Part-to-whole ratios are expressed as fractions: 3:4 means 3 out of every 7 total.
- ✓Map scale 1:50,000 means 1 cm on the map = 50,000 cm (500m) in reality.
- ✓Financial ratios like P/E, debt-to-equity, and current ratio are all ratio calculations.
- ✓Golden ratio ≈ 1.618:1 appears in art, architecture, and nature — often considered aesthetically pleasing.
Who Uses This Calculator
Chefs scaling recipes, architects interpreting scale drawings, financial analysts comparing ratios across companies, photographers selecting aspect ratios, teachers explaining proportional reasoning, and anyone solving word problems involving proportions all use ratio calculations.
Optimised for: USA · Canada · UK · Australia · Calculations run in your browser · No data stored
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you simplify a ratio?
Divide both numbers by their greatest common factor (GCF). Example: 12:8 → divide by 4 → simplified to 3:2.