Question

The ratio of the length of a school ground to its width is 5:2. Find its length if the width is 40 meters.

Answer 1

Hint: Let the length of the ground be x meters. As it is given that the ratio of length to breadth of a school ground is 5:2 and this can be represented in the form of an equation as $\dfrac{5}{2}=\dfrac{\text{length}}{\text{breadth}}$ . Just substitute the given and assumed value and simplify to get to the answer.

Complete step-by-step solution -
To start with the solution to the above question, we let the length of the ground be x meters. Let us draw a representative diagram as well.

Now, as it is given that the ratio of length is to breadth of a school ground is 5:2 and this can be represented in form of equation as $\dfrac{5}{2}=\dfrac{\text{length}}{\text{breadth}}$ . Also, it is given that the width, i.e., the breadth of the ground is 40 meters. So, if we put this values in our equation, we get
$\dfrac{5}{2}=\dfrac{x}{40}$
Now, we will take 40 to the other side of the equation. As it is the denominator of the RHS it will get multiplied to the numerator when taken to the other side.
$\dfrac{5}{2}\times 40=x$
$\Rightarrow x=100 \text{meters}$
Therefore, the answer to the above question is 100 meters.

Note: Be very careful about the order of the ratio, as length is to breadth and breadth is to length may sound similar but are completely different and will end up giving you two very different answers. Also, you should remember that the ratios are unit less, so the answers you get in such questions have the same answer as the other unit used in finding the ratio.