Unit rates

Key Notes :

A rate is a comparison of two quantities that have different units, such as 100 miles every 2 hours.

A unit rate is a special type of rate where the second amount is 1, such as 50 miles every 1 hour. When you have a unit rate, you can use the word per. For example, you can also say 50 miles every 1 hour as 50 miles per hour.

Here are some other examples of unit rates:

• $3.29 per pound
• 25 students per class
• 12 eggs per carton

How can you find a unit rate?

To find a unit rate, you can divide. Try this example.

Sam typed 60 words in 3 minutes. How many words did he type per minute?

Divide the number of words by the number of minutes to find the unit rate.

• 60÷3=20

So, the unit rate is 20 words per minute.

Let’s try another example.

There are 12 tables with 96 chairs in all. How many chairs are there per table?

Divide the number of chairs by the number of tables to find the unit rate.

• 96÷12=8

So, the unit rate is 8 chairs per table.

Learn with an example

Let’s practice!