Unit Rate

What a unit rate is

A unit rate compares two quantities and tells how much of one quantity corresponds to 1 of the other. Common examples are “miles per hour,” “cost per item,” or “words per minute.” Since the answer must be exact and simplified, leave it in reduced form rather than rounding.

How to find it

1. Identify the two quantities and the order they are written in. The first quantity usually goes in the numerator and the second in the denominator.
2. Make the denominator 1 by dividing both parts of the rate by the same number.
3. Simplify completely so the answer is in lowest terms.

Example idea: if 12 apples cost 18 dollars, the unit cost is found by dividing both numbers by 12 or by writing (18/12) and simplifying. That gives the cost for 1 apple.

Check your answer

Ask yourself: “Does this represent the amount for exactly 1 unit?” If the denominator is not 1, keep simplifying or dividing until it is. You can also check by multiplying your unit rate back by the original number of units to see if you recover the original total.