An IQ problem?

Question

If the land to water ratio of the earth is 1:2;and if land to water ratio of the northern hemisphere is 2:3 then what is the ratio of land to water in southern hemisphere.

I know I copied this question from someone else, and i give the credit to pari k. I put an answer to the question,but then i pressed delete when i wanted to change it. Then this program didnt let me answer the question again. Anyways here is my answer: 1:2.75
What did u guys get?

And here is my work:
by being a ratio 1:2, that means 2/3 of the entire world is water
The north we know is 2:3, meaning its surface is 60% water
Let assume the North and South surface area each represent the value 1, so the surface area of the world is 2
that means that 4/3 will be water
in the North we have .6 water
thus in the South we must have the total water - the Northern water, so its 4/3 - .6 (3/5)
=20/15- 9/15= 11/15 of the Southern surface area is water
now you must make a ratio of land to water
so you have 4/15:11/15 (since this must =1), which can be simplified to 1:2.75

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ar8TAGKIG9xHgqd1vKPgBN7_xQt.?qid=20070118233806AAVjHx8

This where i copied the question from. It looks like some other people also go thte same answer as me of 4:11 = 1:2.75

Ben B maybe you should read closer, and maybe i should explain better. Obviously you cant have 4/3 of the surface be water.
To simplify matters, I made the Northern and Southern hemisphere has a value of 1. That way i could easily get percentages. that is why i said that the TOTAL Earth surface area is = to 2

Answer 1

Here's how to solve it...

If the land mass of the earth is 1:2 that means one part land to two parts water.... or 1/3 land and 2/3 water.

The northern hemisphere is 2:3 means 2/5 land and 3/5 water.

Getting a common denominator

WORLD: 5/15 land and 10/15 water
NORTH: 6/15 land and 9/15 water

now divide north by two
WORLD: 10/30 land and 20/30 water
NORTH: 6/30 land and 9/30 water

Subtract North From World:

Difference 4/30 land and 11/30 water

That comes out to 4:11 and if you divide by 4 it is 1:2.75

Congratulations! You were correct!

Good Luck

Answer 2

If half of the world is land, then you would expect 1/2 or 3/6 of the northern hemispehere to be land. But in fact 2/3 or 4/6 are - an additional 1/6.

To balance this in the southern hemisphere the ratio must be 1/6 less at 2/6 or 1/3.

So the ratio is 1:3 in the south.

Answer 3

Let the earth be divided into 30 parts.

10 parts are land and 20 parts are water. (1:2)


In northern hemisphere total parts are 15.

6 parts are land and 9 parts are water (2:3)

Therefore in Southern hemisphere,

Parts of land is 10 - 6 = 4 and

Parts of water are 20 - 9 = 11.

The ratio of land to water is 4/11.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The reason for choosing 30 is given below.

Ratio of land to water on whole earth is

½ = (1/3) divided by (2/3). (3 because 2+1 =3)

Similarly

Ratio of land to water on N-hemisphere is

2/3 = 2/5 divided by 3/5. {5 because 3+2 =5}

30 can be divided by 2, 3 and 5.

Answer 4

In the north:
land is 2/5 , water is 3/5

total:
land 1/3
water 2/3

Let A be the area of one hemisphere.

(2A/5 +LA )/(3A/5+WA) = 1/2

where L is the fraction of land in the south, and W is the fraction of water in the south.

Solve for L/W the ratio of land to water in the south

Answer 5

1:3 when you add 1:3 to 2:3 you get 3:6 which is equal to 1:2

It is impossible to have 4/3 of the earth covered in water.

Answer 6

idk