In solving the ratio of red jellybeans to yellow jellybeans, when given a total of 203 jellybeans, what should students do first?

The first step in solving the ratio of red jellybeans to yellow jellybeans when given a total of 203 jellybeans is to establish a proportional relationship based on the information provided. If the ratio of red jellybeans to yellow jellybeans is given as 6 to 1, this means that for every 6 red jellybeans, there is 1 yellow jellybean, making a total of 7 parts in the ratio.

To find the actual quantities of red and yellow jellybeans, it helps to set up a proportion based on this ratio. The equation representing this would be aligning the ratio to the total quantity of jellybeans. By establishing a relationship using the ratio of 6:1 (or 6 parts red, 1 part yellow) and the total number of jellybeans, a student can solve for the unknowns. Setting up the equation, like 6/1 = 203x, indicates a step that incorporates the total count into the ratio which will allow for further solving to determine the specific quantities of red and yellow jellybeans.

Starting with counting the total number of jellybeans alone would not provide the necessary insight into how the jellybeans are divided by color without relating that count back to the established ratio. Therefore, developing