There are 8 brooms and 6 mops in a janitor's closet. What is the ratio of the number of mops to the total number of brooms and mops?

A. [tex]\frac{3}{4}[/tex]
B. [tex]\frac{4}{3}[/tex]
C. [tex]\frac{7}{3}[/tex]
D. [tex]\frac{3}{7}[/tex]



Answer :

To determine the ratio of the number of mops to the total number of brooms and mops, we'll go through the problem step-by-step:

1. Identify the given quantities:
- Number of brooms (B) = 8
- Number of mops (M) = 6

2. Calculate the total number of brooms and mops:
[tex]\[ \text{Total} = B + M = 8 + 6 = 14 \][/tex]

3. Determine the ratio of mops to the total number of brooms and mops:
[tex]\[ \text{Ratio} = \frac{M}{\text{Total}} = \frac{6}{14} \][/tex]

4. Simplify the fraction:
To simplify [tex]\(\frac{6}{14}\)[/tex], find the greatest common divisor (GCD) of 6 and 14, which is 2. Then divide both the numerator and the denominator by 2:
[tex]\[ \frac{6}{14} = \frac{6 \div 2}{14 \div 2} = \frac{3}{7} \][/tex]

Therefore, the ratio of the number of mops to the total number of brooms and mops is:

[tex]\[ \boxed{\frac{3}{7}} \][/tex]

So the answer is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{D} \][/tex]