What is the appropriate mathematical term for the ratio of students at two different locations, given the differences?

The term "proportion" refers to a specific mathematical concept where two ratios are set equal to each other. In this context, when discussing the ratio of students at two different locations and any differences between them, "proportion" effectively captures the relationship being analyzed.

For instance, if you have the ratio of students in one location compared to another, exploring how these two quantities relate can be defined as a proportion. This is foundational in understanding relative sizes and can be applied in various real-world scenarios, such as determining resource allocation or comparing demographics.

In contrast, the other terms do not accurately describe the relationship between the two differing ratios of students. A variable represents a symbol used to represent an unknown value, an expression is a combination of numbers and variables that does not contain an equality sign, and an equation involves two expressions set equal to each other. None of these encapsulate the concept of comparing two ratios directly, making "proportion" the appropriate mathematical term in this context.