From a ratio of 3:5, which statement correctly describes the relationship between the two quantities?

• A. There are 3 of the first quantity for every 5 of the second.
• B. The ratio sums to 8.
• C. The second quantity is always larger than the first.
• D. The two quantities are equal in number.

Answer: (A)

A ratio shows how many parts of one quantity correspond to parts of another. A ratio of 3:5 means the first quantity is to the second as 3 is to 5—that is, for every 3 units of the first amount, there are 5 units of the second. That is exactly what the statement is saying: there are 3 of the first quantity for every 5 of the second. The idea that the ratio sums to 8 describes a total when you add the parts, not the relationship itself. Saying the second quantity is always larger isn’t the defining description of a ratio, and equality would require a 1:1 relationship, not 3:5.