9:15 PM. District park. Under a green roof, six red benches. Half the seats are curled up with sleeping dogs; a few people sit quietly on the others. No arguments—just calm. And a lot of math hiding in plain sight.
Numbers at a glance
- Benches = 6
- Dog-only benches = 3 → 3/6 = 1/2 = 50%
- Human-used benches = 2 with 3 humans → 1.5 humans per bench
- Empty benches = 1 → 1/6 ≈ 16.67% underutilization
Ratios in real life
Dogs : Benches = 3 : 6 = 1 : 2 (one dog bench for every two benches overall). Humans : Human benches = 3 : 2 (crowding ratio = 1.5 per bench).
Percentages made easy
Occupied benches = 5/6 ≈ 83.33%; empty = 16.67%. To convert any ratio to percentage: turn it into a fraction and multiply by 100. Example: 3/6 × 100 = 50%.
Proportions that click
If 60% of benches are for humans, how many is that out of 6? Set up a proportion: 60/100 = x/6 ⇒ x = 3.6 ≈ 4 benches. Real life rounds to what's practical.
Try a quick practice
- If two more people arrive and use the empty bench, humans/bench becomes 5 ÷ 3 ≈ 1.67.
- If one dog moves off a bench, dog share becomes 2/6 = 33.33%.
FAQ
What is a ratio in real life?
A comparison of two quantities. In the photo, dog benches to total benches = 3:6 = 1:2.
How do I convert a ratio to a percentage?
Turn it into a fraction and multiply by 100. Example: 3/6 × 100 = 50%.
What is a proportion?
Two equal ratios describing the same relationship. Example: dog benches/total = 3/6 = 1/2.
Where can I quickly calculate percentages?
Use the Percentage Calculator on EasyMathsTools. It shows steps and examples.