A unit rate is a rate where the second quantity is 1. It tells you "how much per one." To find it, divide the first quantity by the second.
Unit Rate = Total Amount ÷ Number of Units
Examples
You drove 180 miles in 3 hours
180 miles ÷ 3 hours = 60 miles per hour
A 12-pack of soda costs $6.00
$6.00 ÷ 12 cans = $0.50 per can
A worker assembles 56 parts in 8 hours
56 parts ÷ 8 hours = 7 parts per hour
Why Unit Rates Are Useful
Unit rates make comparisons easy. You can't easily compare "3 for $5.49" vs "5 for $8.75" — but $1.83/each vs $1.75/each is instant.
💡 Two unit rates from one situation: 180 miles in 3 hours gives you 60 mph (miles per hour) OR 0.0167 hours per mile (time per mile). Both are unit rates — use whichever is more useful for your problem.
🎯 Practice Problems
1. You read 45 pages in 3 hours. What is the unit rate?
A) 3 pages per hour
B) 15 pages per hour
C) 45 pages per hour
D) 135 pages per hour
2. A 5-pound bag of rice costs $8.50. What is the unit price?
A) $0.59/lb
B) $1.70/lb
C) $42.50/lb
D) $8.50/lb
3. A factory produces 600 units in 8 hours. What is the production rate?
A) 75 units/hour
B) 80 units/hour
C) 4,800 units/hour
D) 600 units/hour
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🎯 Bonus Practice
1. Which is the better deal: 3 lbs for $5.25 or 5 lbs for $8.00?
A) 3 lbs for $5.25 ($1.75/lb)
B) 5 lbs for $8.00 ($1.60/lb)
C) Same price
D) Need more info
2. A car uses 10 gallons for 280 miles. What is the fuel efficiency?
A) 10 mpg
B) 28 mpg
C) 2,800 mpg
D) 0.036 mpg
3. You type 350 words in 5 minutes. What is your typing speed?
A) 50 wpm
B) 70 wpm
C) 350 wpm
D) 1,750 wpm
4. A hospital treats 168 patients in 7 days. What is the daily rate?
A) 7 patients/day
B) 24 patients/day
C) 168 patients/day
D) 1,176 patients/day
5. An athlete runs 5 km in 22 minutes. What is the rate in minutes per km?