What is a unit rate? A comprehensive guide
Comparing one quantity to the other is a common task in daily life to estimate different measurements like speed, weight, and many others. The unit rate is a specific type of comparing two quantities in which one quantity (smaller one) is compared to the other quantity (bigger one).
While discussing the comparison based on the unit rate, the bigger quantity must be 1 while the smaller quantity can have any number. For example, 60 boxes filled in 1 hour represents a unit rate relationship because here the time unit is “1”.
In Mathematics, multiple problems are found to be solved on the basis of this unit measurement. The reason behind this comparison makes the estimation of one quantity as compared to another easy to understand.
What is the formula for unit rate?
There is no hard and fast rule to find the unit rate of one quantity as compared to the other. You can easily understand and use the unit rate formula to find this relation. Here is the formula if you have two quantities for comparison.
1st quantity = 2nd quantity
1st quantity / 2nd quantity = 1
As we can see, the second quantity has become “1” which is the definition of a unit rate.
How to find the unit rate?
To find the unit rate of one quantity in comparison with the other, we have to divide the 1st quantity that is being compared by the second quantity with which it will be compared.
In simple words, the bigger quantity will act as a divider for the smaller quantity because we have to make the bigger quantity “1”.
Sometimes, it may be difficult to understand which term you have to divide. In this regard, you can get help from a unit rate calculator. It has been designed with a simple interface to find the unit rate within seconds just after the insertion of measurements/quantities.
Solved Unit Rate Example
To elaborate on the above discussion, we have solved an example here.
Problem::
If 60 boxes are filled in 6 hours, find the number of boxes filled in 1 hour.
Solution:
1st quantity = 60 boxes>
2nd quantity = 6 hours
As per the formula, we have to divide the first quantity by the second quantity. So,
Unit rate = 60 / 6
= 10 boxes
It means that 10 boxes will be filled per hour.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the unit rate calculation is not a difficult task and you can easily perform this. But it can be hard if you are new to this field. We hope our blog has assisted you in understanding this calculation.
IIf you are still confused, you should use our unit rate calculator. This online tool will help you in understanding the process and completing your work without effort.
FAQ
What is a rate?
The rate is a specific way to show a comparison between two values having different units. In simple words, it represents how two different quantities vary with each other.
What is the unit rate in math?
What is the difference between a rate and a unit rate?
The rate represents how two values vary with each other. There is no restriction on the number of units for a specific quantity. On the flip side, the unit rate represents how much quantity can be covered in one unit of the other quantity.
How do you compare two units?
We can compare two units by dividing one of those units and making 1 in place of that unit.
What are equivalent rates?
Two or more rates that have the same unit rates are called equivalent rates.
How is a rate a measure of one quantity per unit of another quantity?
The rate is a comparison that shows the relationship between two or more quantities in a single term/value.
