Adrawer contains both shirts and shorts. the ratio of shirts to shorts is 4: 1

a: what is the ratio of shirts to the total number of clothing?
b: what is the ratio of shorts to the total number of clothing?

Let x =  number of shirts.
Let y = number of shorts.

The ratio of shirts to shorts is 4:1, therefore
x/y = 4          (1)
Therefore
y/x = 1/4       (2)

The total number of clothing is (x + y).

A. 
The ratio of shirts to the total number of clothing is

4/5

B.
The ratio of shorts to the total number of clothing is

1/5