Step by step
The question
Question: simplify the ratio 12 to 18.
Simplify means: smaller numbers, the same ratio.
12 : 18
1 Divide every part
12 and 18 can both be divided by 6.
We divide every part by 6.
The ratio stays the same.
= 12 ÷ 6 : 18 ÷ 6
12 divided by 6 is 2.
18 divided by 6 is 3.
= 2 : 3
Nothing else divides all of them.
So the simplest ratio is 2 to 3.
Answer
= 2 : 3