Question

Identify the means and the extremes in each of the following proportions. a. 4 : 24 = 2 : 12 b. 24⁄6 = 16⁄4 c. 4 : 8 = 8 : 16 d. 6⁄50 = 3⁄25

Answer 1

As you know, the "means" are the inside terms, b and c, and the "extremes" are the outside terms, a and d, in the proportion we might write in any of these ways:

$\dfrac{a}{b} = \dfrac{c}{d}$.
Then:
1. For the proportion $\dfrac{4}{24} = \dfrac{2}{12}$ the means are 24 and 2 and the extremes are 4 and 12.
2. For the proportion $\dfrac{24}{6} = \dfrac{16}{4}$ the means are 6 and 16 and the extremes are 24 and 4.
3. For the proportion $\dfrac{4}{8} = \dfrac{8}{16}$ the means are 8 and 8 and the extremes are 4 and 16.
4. For the proportion $\dfrac{6}{50} = \dfrac{3}{25}$ the means are 50 and 3 and the extremes are 6 and 25.