What is a ratio, and can you give me an example?

Question

Its home work help (Im only in grade 5)

Answer 1

A ratio is when you compare one number by another. If you ask a question here on Yahoo! Answers, and you get two good answers and 3 stupid answers, then the good-to-stupid answer ratio is 2:3. That's how a ratio is often written: with a colon in the middle, although you can also write it with a slash or line as if you were dividing the numbers.

You can also have ratios in algebraic equations:

2:3 = 8:x

where you need to solve for what the value of "x" is - here x would equal 12.

More on ratios:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratio