You would get that X equals 3w over 7 + y over 7<span />
So basically, think of a ratio as a fraction for these problems. You see the 2 numbers and you put the first one as the numerator and the second as your denominator. For example:
5 to 10
We would change this into:

Because the problem says to simplify, we can divide both sides by 5 and simplify it into:

If the problem says 5:10 instead of "5 to 10" it's the same problem just with different wording. If the numbers are labeled, the you can write the labels next to the number it corresponds with.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask down in the comments, I'll be happy to work with you!
Write the expression for each plan, and set them equal to each other.
For part a) solve for m.
For part b) substitute the value of m back into each expression.
Answer:
a = 8
Step-by-step explanation:
(x+8)(x+1) = x^2 + 9x + 8