1. **State the problem:** The ratio of Skittles to Gummy Bears is 3 to 7. There are 51 Skittles. We need to find the total number of pieces of candy. 2. **Understand the ratio:** The ratio 3 to 7 means for every 3 Skittles, there are 7 Gummy Bears. 3. **Set up the ratio equation:** Let the common multiplier be $x$. Then Skittles = $3x$ and Gummy Bears = $7x$. 4. **Use the given number of Skittles:** We know $3x = 51$. 5. **Solve for $x$:** $$ 3x = 51 \\ x = \frac{51}{3} \\ x = 17 $$ 6. **Find the number of Gummy Bears:** $$ 7x = 7 \times 17 = 119 $$ 7. **Find the total number of candies:** $$ \text{Total} = 3x + 7x = 10x = 10 \times 17 = 170 $$ **Final answer:** There are 170 pieces of candy in total.