Ratios in Science

The GED Science test includes questions with ratios.

This lesson is a part of Onsego GED Prep.

Video Transcription

On the GED science test, you might be asked to compare two things presented in a table or a graph. This type of question can be easily solved by creating a simple fraction and calculating it. Let’s take a look at how it works.

Example 1

Here’s a sample GED test question:

The table below compares the battery life of three types of smartphone batteries.

Battery Type	Average Battery Life (hours)
Lithium-ion (Li-ion)	20
Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH)	12
Lithium Polymer (LiPo)	24

Based on the table, how much more energy efficient is the LiPo battery technology compared to the NiMH technology?

You may use a calculator.

To solve this question, follow these steps:

First, identify the average life for LiPo and NiMH from the table. We see that the LiPo battery lasts 24 hours, while the NiMH lasts 12 hours.

Next, to determine how much more efficient the LiPo is, we create a simple fraction. We do this by dividing LiPo’s duration by NiMH’s duration.

So, we take 24 hours and divide it by 12 hours:

Efficiency Ratio = LiPo / NiMH = 24 / 12 = 2

This means LiPo technology is 2 times more energy efficient than NiMH.

By following these steps, you can easily compare the efficiency or effectiveness of different items presented in tables or graphs on the GED science test. Remember, the key is to identify the relevant numbers, set up a simple fraction, and perform the division.

So, the final answer is that the LiPo battery is 2 times more energy efficient than NiMH.

Example 2

Let’s look at another example.

The table below compares the energy requirements of three display technologies for e-reader devices.

Technology	Appearance	Average Battery Life
Electronic Ink	Black and White	40 days
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)	Color	10 hours
Interferometric Modulator Display (IMOD)	Color	5 days

Based on the table, how many times more energy efficient is IMOD technology compared to LCD?

You may use a calculator.

To solve this question, follow these steps:

First, we need to determine how much more energy-efficient IMOD is compared to LCD by comparing their average durations.

We start by converting both durations to the same unit. LCD has an average of 10 hours, and IMOD has an average of 5 days. Since 1 day equals 24 hours, we convert 5 days to hours:

IMOD duration = 5 * 24 = 120 hours

Next, we calculate the ratio of IMOD to LCD by dividing IMOD’s duration by LCD’s duration:

Efficiency Ratio = IMOD / LCD = 120 hours / 10 hours = 12

This means IMOD technology is 12 times more energy efficient than LCD.

So, the final answer is that IMOD technology is 12 times more energy efficient than LCD.

By using these examples, you can see how to compare different technologies or items by setting up a simple fraction and calculating the ratio. But remember, you need to compare the same units. If you are presented with different ones, make sure to convert them first. This method helps you solve similar questions on the GED science test with ease.

Last Updated on October 20, 2025.