The concept of RATIO

[sweetygurl]

What does it exactly mean when it says

1) Ratio between A and B is large
2) Ratio between A and B is small

I thought that ratio meant the DIFFERENCE between A and B so I used to think that when something/someone says that ratio between A and B is large, there is a lot of difference between A and B

Ex: the ratio between A and B = 1:8 (difference is large, thus ratio is large)
Ex: the ratio between A and B = 4:5 (difference is small, thus ratio is small)

However, when I came across Q 17 Section 2 PT 44
ratio means percentage so exactly the reverse is true on my above 2 examples.
Ex: the ratio between A and B = 1:8 (percent is small, thus ratio is small)
Ex: the ratio between A and B = 4:5 (percent is large, thus ratio is large)

I understand that I may not be articulate, but can anyone please clarify this?

Have I misunderstood the concept of ratio?

I have seen a couple questions on the LSAT that touch upon the concept of ratio. (don't recall the exact pt number, but it compared the input energy and output energy of small animals and large animals in their ability to climb trees...or something like that..)

[rinagoldfield]

Great specific question, sweetygurl.

Compare ratios on the LSAT as you would fractions.

Let’s say we’re talking about the student to faculty ratios at X law school and Z law school.

At X law school, the student to faculty ratio is 8:1. At Z law school the student to faculty ratio is 75:1. We can convert these ratios into the fractions 8/1 and 75/1. 75 is greater than 8, so the the student to faculty ratio at Z law school is greater than the student to faculty ratio at X law school. We can also phrase this in terms of "higher" vs. "lower." The student to faculty ratio is higher at Z law school than at X law school.

The same principle applies even if we reverse the ratios. X law school has a 1:8 ratio of faculty to students; Z law school has a 1:75 ratio of faculty to students. 1/8 is greater than 1/75. Z law school therefore has a smaller (or lower) faculty to student ratio than X law school.

[zip]

Great explanation: clear and correct.