Do "the ratio of A to B" and "A:B" always mean A/B as a fraction?

2k Views Asked by At

Question

  • Do the expressions "the ratio of A to B" and "A:B" always mean the same as $\frac{A}{B}$ (i.e. A divided by B) and not $\frac{B}{A}$?

I found several sources that use "the ratio of A to B" as $\frac{A}{B}$ and one source that uses "A:B" as $\frac{A}{B}$. These sources listed below.

Sources that use "the ratio of A to B" as $\frac{A}{B}$

The cosecant is the reciprocal of the sine. It is the ratio of the hypotenuse to the side opposite a given angle in a right triangle. $$csc(A) = \frac{hypotenuse}{opposite}$$

Greek letter π to represent the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter was by Welsh mathematician William Jones in 1706.

The a to b ratio is 1:2.

The ratio of a to b is 0.5

Sources that use "A:B" as $\frac{A}{B}$

The a:b ratio is 0.5.