Step by step
The question
Question: simplify the ratio 15 to 45.
Simplify means: smaller numbers, the same ratio.
15 : 45
1 Divide every part
15 and 45 can both be divided by 15.
We divide every part by 15.
The ratio stays the same.
= 15 ÷ 15 : 45 ÷ 15
15 divided by 15 is 1.
45 divided by 15 is 3.
= 1 : 3
Nothing else divides all of them.
So the simplest ratio is 1 to 3.
Answer
= 1 : 3