Which term describes the relationship of one quantity to another by division?

• A. Ratio
• B. Proportion
• C. Fraction
• D. Percentage

Answer: (A)

A ratio expresses how one quantity relates to another through division. It shows how many times one amount contains or compares to the other, written as a/b or a:b. For example, if you have 6 units of one quantity and 2 of another, the ratio is 6:2 (which simplifies to 3:1), illustrating the direct relationship between the two amounts. A proportion describes an equality between two ratios, not the basic way quantities relate. A fraction also involves division but typically represents a part of a whole rather than a direct comparison between two separate quantities. A percentage is just a ratio scaled to per hundred. So the best term for the described relationship is ratio.