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Cash Fulton
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Why do we use division/fractions to represent per something?
Ah yes, good catch. I should have said "three out of a hundred, or 3/100"pasmith said:3 per hundred is 3:97.
Doesn't really answer my question. I am asking why that is.phinds said:Three per hundred, for example, means 3 out of 100, so we can write it as a ratio, 3:100, or a fraction, 3/100
Why it is, is because of what the words mean. When we say, for example, 6 per cent (literally 6 per 100) we are expressing a ratio: ##\frac 6 {100}##. It's similar for units such as mph (miles per hour). We are talking about a ratio of miles driven per (divided by) the time in hours.Cash Fulton said:Doesn't really answer my question. I am asking why that is.
Division is used when we want to find the ratio or the amount of one quantity in relation to another quantity. In this case, "per something" represents the second quantity, and division helps us determine the amount or quantity of the first quantity in relation to the second.
While multiplication and division are inverse operations, they serve different purposes. Multiplication is used when we want to find the total amount or quantity of something, while division is used when we want to find the amount of something in relation to another quantity. Therefore, division is more appropriate when using "per something" as it helps us determine the specific amount or quantity we are interested in.
No, there are other ways to express "per something" such as using fractions, ratios, or percentages. However, division is the most common and simplest way to express this concept.
Division is used in various real-life situations that involve rates, such as calculating the price per unit of an item, the speed per hour of a vehicle, or the percentage increase or decrease of a population over time. It is also commonly used in financial and scientific calculations.
Understanding division is crucial when using "per something" as it allows us to accurately calculate and compare quantities in relation to each other. It also helps us make informed decisions, such as determining the most cost-effective option when comparing prices per unit or analyzing trends and patterns in data.