A ratio of 1:100 means that for every one unit of something, there are 100 units of another. This can be used in various contexts, such as in finance, where it might represent a comparison of investment returns, or in cooking, where it could indicate the proportion of ingredients. For example, if a recipe calls for a 1:100 ratio of sugar to water, it means you would use 1 part sugar for every 100 parts water. This helps in maintaining consistency and understanding the relationship between different quantities in a given situation.