Question

The length of a rectangle is 8 1/2 inches and the width is 3 1/4 inches. What is the ratio, using whole numbers, of the length to the width?

Answer 1

Short answer 34/13
Start by converting both to improper fractions.

8 1/2 = (2*8 + 1)/2 = 17/2

3 1/4 = (3*4 + 1)/4 = 13/4

Next set up a 4 layer fraction

$\dfrac{\dfrac{17}{2}}{\dfrac{13}{4} }$

Invert the lower fraction and multiply$\dfrac{17}{2}* \dfrac{4}{13}$

Cancel the 2 and the 4 leaving you with a 2 in the numerator.$\dfrac{17*2}{13} =\dfrac{34}{13}$