# Working Out Ratios: The formula



## Stezz (Apr 29, 2011)

I know there are threads out there about this subject, but this one may be a little bit easier to understand.

First, you have your vessel. I use 300ml or 1000ml bottles for my stuff.

Here goes:

First, 
Add you parts together, by this I mean the ratios you need to mix be it 4:1, 10:1 etc. for this I am using Gtechniq W2 at a ratio of 20:1. which makes "21"

Divide your bottle size by 21 (I will use the 300ml bottle for this example) which makes 14 (14ml of chemical), subtract 14 from 300 which leaves 286 (286ml of water). 

So to mix W2 at a ratio of 20:1 we have 286ml (20) to 14ml (1) of W2.


I know there are a lot of old timers here that use a different method and people that use the Megs bottles, but I thought this might help out the newbies that may not.:thumb:

Hope this helps


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## DesertDog (May 15, 2011)

Or if you're completely unable to comprehend even basic maths, you could always try this:

http://www.onlineconversion.com/percentcalc.htm


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## georgey2011 (Oct 24, 2011)

My autoglym bottles are 400 ml on the indicators bilberry said to mix 3/1 so i mixed 300ml water with 100 ml bilberry, i presumed i was correct lol


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

Really the issue is what 1:4 means... so what does the colon mean?

Well in some circles it means 1 part x to 4 parts y and in other circles it means % so 1:4 means 25% mix so could be 250ml product to 750ml water.

Maybe I am confusing matters.


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

Now I am confused!


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## Jem (Aug 10, 2007)

Spoony said:


> Well in some circles it means 1 part x to 4 parts y and in other circles it means % so 1:4 means 25% mix so could be 250ml product to 750ml water.


That's a very good point, is 4:1 20% or 25% product?


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## Stezz (Apr 29, 2011)

I'm pretty sure we all go for 4 parts X to 1 part Y, don't we?


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## gregb (Feb 1, 2009)

Jem said:


> That's a very good point, is 4:1 20% or 25% product?


4:1 is 20% product & 80% water


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

Yes, but do we know what the manufacturers intend? They are all chemists and very comfortable with maths


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## Duke Wellington (Dec 1, 2009)

The OP is on the right track. A ratio of 1:1 is 50% + 50%, a ratio of 4:1 is 80% + 20%.

This link gives the definition as to what is taught at school.

Back to school


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## Stezz (Apr 29, 2011)

Oh well, this thread has gone in a completely different direction for which it was intended...hey ho


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

We really need clarification on ratios in detailing from manufacturers.

Some people insist its 1 part product to 4 parts water. Others reckon its as taught in school I.e 1:4 is 1 in 4 so 25%

Be interesting to know from a manufacturer


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## Stezz (Apr 29, 2011)

I've just emailed Meguiars to clarify which they use:thumb:
I went on Gtechniq's website and they use the X amount of water to X amount of product.


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## puppag (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks you've made it sound and look like a real science. I can't wait to see her indoors face when I get the pad and paper out to work out my ratios!!


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## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

As above, I think it's down to how you interpret the colon. 

1:4 could be read as 1 in 4 which means that of 4 parts, 1 of them is product (25%). 

It should be read as 1 to 4, meaning 1 part product to 4 parts solvent (ie 20%). 

Though as stated, with most cleaning products, you get to a point where it doesn't matter.


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## gregb (Feb 1, 2009)

Spoony said:


> We really need clarification on ratios in detailing from manufacturers.
> 
> Some people insist its 1 part product to 4 parts water. Others reckon its as taught in school I.e 1:4 is 1 in 4 so 25%
> 
> Be interesting to know from a manufacturer


The Colon means its a ratio and a ratio is a comparison of two quantities in relation to each other. If you have 5 apples and 2 oranges then you have a 5 to 2 ration in favour of apples. It's parts to for ratios and not parts in.


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## Stezz (Apr 29, 2011)

Stezz said:


> I've just emailed Meguiars to clarify which they use:thumb:
> I went on Gtechniq's website and they use the X amount of water to X amount of product.


Just had a reply from Meguires, they use x parts water to x parts product.:thumb:


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## TJenkos (May 6, 2009)

4:1 is definately 80%:20%, manufacturers do understand ratios lol:


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

gregb said:


> The Colon means its a ratio and a ratio is a comparison of two quantities in relation to each other. If you have 5 apples and 2 oranges then you have a 5 to 2 ration in favour of apples. It's parts to for ratios and not parts in.


The colon indicates a ratio.

1:2 Is one part x and two parts y


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

Ben Gum said:


> That isn't right though! You might have been allowed away with that sort of mathematics in primary school but you wouldn't be getting any marks in a GCSE exam!
> 
> I'm really quite worried for this forum that we would be having to debate this!!!


What you've posted is total nonsense and I've far surpassed gcse maths thanks.

Ratios car be interpreted 2 ways as many agree.

In detailing terms I go by parts product to parts water. The ratios don't need to be exact I doubt so I wouldn't be too hung up on that I never am...

I was just offering an informed perspective. In chemistry they will give 1:5 as a 20% dilution. But really in detailing it means 1 part out of 6 so about 17%.

I know what I mean....

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_1_in_5_dilution_mean


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

How can you assume any idiot has posted the wiki answers and not a professor? You could be any idiot posting your thoughts on it on this forum....

I'm going to agree to disagree, having studied chemistry if it was 1:5 it was always 20%. Equally with maths at uni a ratio was parts x to parts y.

I was simply adding to the discussion not stating one way is right or wrong, some products say 1:4 others say 1 parts product to 4 parts water and equally I've had products that say mix up a 20% solution (which btw is 1 part in 5). Equally products ask you to stick a capful in. 

As I said before though, I never get hung up on exacts with my products. I use roughly 1:4 or roughly 1:8 with the lowest number being product.

So if it's 1:9 and I want to make a litre I add 100ml APC to 900ml water. This is the general rule I go by with detailing.


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

A ratio is a basic equation so 1:4 is 1x + 4y to make a new solution of 1.


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2012)

Spoony's explanation is correct and certainly how I understand it.

If you hand a chemist a bottle of APC and ask them to mix it 1:4, don't be surprised if it comes back 1 part APC, 3 parts water.


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## geoff.mac (Oct 13, 2010)

Spoony, the way I've always done it is

if its 4:1 it means four TO one, meaning four parts water to one part product total 5 parts.

if its 1:4 means one IN four parts. Meaning one part of the four is product. total 4 parts. 

Works for me, Its either in or to. I always read ratio's as I've said above and never had a problem. so it al depends on which way around the ratio is written, :thumb:


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## scratcher (Jul 20, 2010)

Ben Gum said:


> That isn't right though! You might have been allowed away with that sort of mathematics in primary school but you wouldn't be getting any marks in a GCSE exam!
> 
> I'm really quite worried for this forum that we would be having to debate this!!!


No marks? They're teaching the kids the wrong stuff then! :lol:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/number/ratiosrev1.shtml


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## Wozza86 (Jan 10, 2010)

I would divide the amount to fill the bottle, for example 600ml by the amount of units so a 12:1 ratio is 13 units. 

600 divided by 13 is 46. 1 unit, 46 ml product and 12 units,553ml of water.

works out about right if you do this.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

wow.... 

I just buy the bottles that are pre marked with all the dilution ratios on there...

:tumbleweed:


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

So which is the right answer?:tumbleweed:


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

What's the point? No-one actually _measures_ anything anyway - :wall:

Regards,
Steve


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Lowiepete said:


> What's the point? No-one actually _measures_ anything anyway - :wall:
> 
> Regards,
> Steve


Eh, excuse me... a "glug" is a very respected form of measurement!





:thumb:


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2012)

[geek mode]

The advantage of where the ratio is expressed to x parts *in* y, is that any ambiguity is removed if it's written down as either x:y or y:x. 'y' is always the larger value (or at worst equal to x, which would imply a neat solution). 
Thus 2:3 and 3:2 both mean the same thing - "2 parts product diluted with 1 part water", giving a total of 3 combined parts.

Where a ratio is expressed as x parts *to* y parts then 3:2 could mean "3 parts product to 2 parts water" or it could mean "3 parts water to 2 parts product".

However, all detailing products I've come across that do dilute are always mixed with more parts water than product. Thus, there generally isn't any worry over which value is the product part and which is water part, which I guess is why ratios are expressed as x parts *to* y parts. It's probably more intuitive too.

[/geek mode]


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## MirfieldMat (Mar 13, 2011)

I tend to just bob a drop or two in a bottle of water and see if it works.


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

Ben Gum said:


> So what does 2:1 mean then?!
> 
> By your description it is a nonsense because it means 2 parts (left hand side) of 1 part (right hand side) - it is useless. Yet ratio's like this are very often written when the left side is greater than the right. Or are you going to arbitrarily change it so that the biggest number is always the total? How about for complex mixtures with multiple aspects, x:y:z... sorry but your supposed method just gets messy everytime you try and go beyond the trivial.
> 
> ...


Your going round in absolute circles for no reason here...

I've explained how I dilute my products. I use it 1 part product to n part water. I was simply offering up the other as a debate..... just to see what folks mindset was. I wasn't saying I was right and someone else was wrong.


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## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

Anyway.....
Does anyone know how long that piece of string is yet .


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

trv8 said:


> Anyway.....
> Does anyone know how long that piece of string is yet .


About three o'clock sir!

:wave:

Anyway, I distinctly remember being taught that (por ejemplo) if you see 1:10 it is one part TO 10 parts giving 11 parts total. I've followed that same rule since and it has not let me down.


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

The Cueball said:


> Eh, excuse me... a "glug" is a very respected form of measurement!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Slightly more than a smidgen!


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## gordonpuk (Mar 14, 2010)

Think any mods could PM someone like AG and ask if one of their bods in the back room could come up with a difinitive?


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## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

trv8 said:


> Anyway.....
> Does anyone know how long that piece of string is yet .





nick.s said:


> About three o'clock sir!


OK......but would that be......AM or PM .......


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Spoony said:


> Slightly more than a smidgen!


but less than a dollop....

:thumb:


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

trv8 said:


> OK......but would that be......AM or PM .......


Ahhh! That depends on the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow!:thumb:


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## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

nick.s said:


> Ahhh! That depends on the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow!:thumb:


Thought that would be the case, just wanted to make sure :thumb:.


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## Chufster (Nov 21, 2010)

Some time last year a thread like this appeared and I picked up a spreadsheet from some other old thread and started updating it with products and formulas & macros etc, to tell you how much product to use in your given container.

I soon gave up when people couldn't agree on 1 part in, or 1 part to. Plus the fact that as mentioned, most people are not that precise with their measurements anyway!


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

i use parts to.
so 1:10 in a 1 litre bottle.90 ml product,add 10 times the water,900ml.equals 990ml total,giving room for the pipe etc to displace as you screw the lid on.if in a spray bottle,1 ltr foam lance bottle.
10 parts water to 1 part product.
its the way ive always done it.
1 IN 10 would be 1:9? one product,nine water = ten.


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## B-mah (Oct 4, 2011)

Spoony said:


> Slightly more than a smidgen!


But less than a drop


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## B-mah (Oct 4, 2011)

nick.s said:


> Ahhh! That depends on the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow!:thumb:


Yes but that's only if the angle of the dangle is equal to the heat of the meat and the throb of the knob is kept constant. :thumb:


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