Solving Ratio Word Problems: Yoda Soda and More!

Mathematics Grades 7th Grade 6:02 Video
Print Lesson Plan Watch Video

Lesson Description

Learn how to solve ratio word problems using real-world examples, including a party with Yoda Soda! This lesson covers setting up ratios, finding equivalent ratios, and applying them to solve practical problems.

Video Resource

Ratio word problem examples

Khan Academy

Duration: 6:02
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Ratio
  • Proportion
  • Equivalent Ratios

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to set up ratios based on information given in word problems.
  • Students will be able to find equivalent ratios.
  • Students will be able to use proportions to solve ratio word problems.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by briefly reviewing the concept of a ratio and a proportion. Ask students for examples of ratios they encounter in everyday life (e.g., the ratio of students to teachers, the ratio of ingredients in a recipe).
  • Yoda Soda Problem (10 mins)
    Present the Yoda Soda problem from the video. Guide students to identify the given ratio (5 liters of soda for every 12 guests). Explain how to set up a proportion to find the amount of soda needed for 36 guests. Emphasize that the units must be consistent. Walk through the solution shown in the video.
  • Fish Tank Problem (10 mins)
    Present the fish tank problem. Have students count the number of big and small fish to determine the initial ratio. Discuss how to find an equivalent ratio with a smaller number of big fish (4). Reinforce the idea of dividing both parts of the ratio by the same number.
  • Ice Cream Sundae Problem (10 mins)
    Present the ice cream sundae problem. Focus on the relevant ratio of sprinkles to sundaes (4 spoonfuls per sundae). Guide students to determine how many sundaes can be made with 32 spoonfuls of sprinkles. Discuss different ways to solve this (e.g., setting up a proportion, using multiplication).
  • Dog Park Problem (10 mins)
    Present the dog park problem. Have students determine the initial ratios of brown dogs to black, white, and multi-colored dogs. Guide them through finding the equivalent ratio when there is only one brown dog. Emphasize simplifying the ratios to find the simplest whole number ratio.
  • Practice and Review (10 mins)
    Provide students with additional ratio word problems to solve independently or in pairs. Circulate to provide assistance and answer questions. Review key concepts and problem-solving strategies.

Interactive Exercises

  • Ratio Relay Race
    Divide students into teams. Provide each team with a set of ratio word problems. The first student solves the first problem, then passes it to the next student, and so on. The first team to correctly solve all the problems wins.

Discussion Questions

  • What is a ratio?
  • What is a proportion?
  • How can you tell if two ratios are equivalent?
  • Give an example of a ratio in real life.

Skills Developed

  • Problem-solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Proportional reasoning

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

A recipe calls for 2 cups of flour for every 3 eggs. If you want to use 6 eggs, how many cups of flour do you need?

Correct Answer: 4 cups

Question 2:

A store sells apples at a ratio of 3 red apples for every 2 green apples. If they have 8 green apples, how many red apples do they have?

Correct Answer: 12

Question 3:

A map has a scale of 1 inch = 50 miles. If two cities are 3 inches apart on the map, what is the actual distance between them?

Correct Answer: 150 miles

Question 4:

There are 15 boys and 10 girls in a class. What is the ratio of boys to the total number of students?

Correct Answer: 3:5

Question 5:

If the ratio of sugar to flour in a recipe is 1:4, and you use 2 cups of sugar, how many cups of flour do you need?

Correct Answer: 8

Question 6:

A school has a student to teacher ratio of 20:1. If there are 300 students, how many teachers are there?

Correct Answer: 15

Question 7:

A painter mixes 2 cans of blue paint with 3 cans of white paint. If he needs 12 cans of white paint, how many cans of blue paint does he need?

Correct Answer: 9

Question 8:

A train travels 120 miles in 2 hours. At this rate, how far will it travel in 5 hours?

Correct Answer: 300 miles

Question 9:

The ratio of cats to dogs at an animal shelter is 2:5. If there are 10 cats, how many dogs are there?

Correct Answer: 25

Question 10:

A baker uses 3 eggs for every cake. If he wants to make 4 cakes, how many eggs does he need?

Correct Answer: 12

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

A ratio compares two ________.

Correct Answer: quantities

Question 2:

A _________ is an equation that shows two ratios are equal.

Correct Answer: proportion

Question 3:

If 3 apples cost $1.50, then 6 apples will cost $________.

Correct Answer: 3.00

Question 4:

If the ratio of boys to girls is 4:5 and there are 8 boys, there are ________ girls.

Correct Answer: 10

Question 5:

The scale on a map is 1 inch = 25 miles. A distance of 4 inches on the map represents ________ miles.

Correct Answer: 100

Question 6:

To find an equivalent ratio, you can multiply or divide both parts of the ratio by the same ________.

Correct Answer: number

Question 7:

If a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar and 3 cups of flour, the ratio of sugar to flour is 1:________.

Correct Answer: 3

Question 8:

If a store sells pencils at a ratio of 2 red pencils for every 5 blue pencils. If there are 10 red pencils there are ______ blue pencils.

Correct Answer: 25

Question 9:

At a party there are 3 slices of pizza to every 1 guest. If there are 7 guests, then there are ______ slices of pizza.

Correct Answer: 21

Question 10:

A car has a ratio of 1 steering wheel to every 4 tires. If there are 16 tires, there are ______ steering wheels.

Correct Answer: 4

Educational Standards

7.A.2.3:Use proportional reasoning to solve problems involving ratios. 7.A.2.2:Solve multi-step problems with proportional relationships (e.g., distance-time, percent increase or decrease, discounts, tips, unit pricing, mixtures and concentrations, similar figures, other mathematical situations). 7.A.2.4:Use proportional reasoning to assess the reasonableness of solutions.

Teaching Materials

Download ready-to-use materials for this lesson:

Student Worksheet Classroom Slides Assessment Quiz
Add to Google Classroom

User Actions

Sign in to save this lesson plan to your favorites.

Sign In

Share This Lesson

Related Lesson Plans