1. The problem asks to write ratios comparing cups of cereal to cups of pecans, identify the type of ratio, find the total snack mix amount, write ratios comparing each ingredient to the total, and explain how to write ratios. 2. Suppose the cups of cereal is $C$ and cups of pecans is $P$. Three ways to write the ratio of cereal to pecans are: 1) $C:P$ 2) $\frac{C}{P}$ 3) "$C$ to $P$" 3. The ratio of cereal to pecans compares part to part because both cereal and pecans are parts of the snack mix. 4. The total amount of snack mix is the sum of all ingredients. If the snack mix has cereal $C$, pecans $P$, and possibly other ingredients, total $T = C + P + \ldots$ 5. Ratios comparing each ingredient to the total snack mix are: - Cereal to total: $\frac{C}{T}$ - Pecans to total: $\frac{P}{T}$ - Other ingredients to total: $\frac{\text{other}}{T}$ 6. To write a ratio comparing two quantities, place the quantities in order separated by a colon, or write as a fraction, or use the phrase "to". The order matters and indicates which quantity is compared to which. Final answers depend on actual values of cereal and pecans, but the method above applies generally.