To find the ratio of the number of apples that Scott buys to the number of bananas, we start by determining the simplest form of the ratio.
1. Identify the quantities:
- Scott buys 1260 apples.
- Scott buys 280 bananas.
2. Determine the greatest common divisor (GCD):
- The GCD of 1260 and 280 is 140. This means 140 is the largest number that can evenly divide both 1260 and 280.
3. Simplify each quantity by dividing by the GCD:
- For the apples:
[tex]\[
\frac{1260}{140} = 9
\][/tex]
- For the bananas:
[tex]\[
\frac{280}{140} = 2
\][/tex]
4. Write the ratio in its simplest form:
- The ratio of the number of apples to the number of bananas is 9:2.
So, the simplest form of the ratio of apples to bananas that Scott buys is [tex]\( 9:2 \)[/tex].