Lesson 8: Solve Problems with Unit Rates6.AT.2

I can…

I can solve real-world problems by using unit rates to compare options.

Key words

• Unit Rate Problem Solving — Find an amount per 1 unit and use it to compare choices or solve a problem.
• Unit Rate — A rate for just 1 of something, like cost for 1 item.
• Better Buy — The choice that costs less for each item.
• Comparison — Looking at two or more amounts to see how they are related.
• Per Unit — For each single item.
• Rate — A ratio comparing two amounts with different units, like miles per hour.
• Proportion — A math sentence saying two ratios are equal. It helps find a missing number.

Steps

1. Fun Supply Co. sells 500 tokens for $60. I want the cost for 1 token.
2. I divide the price by the tokens: $60 ÷ 500 = $0.12.
3. So this deal is $0.12 per token. That is the unit rate.
4. Now I can compare it fairly to a deal with a different number of tokens.

Try it

A school printer prints 250 pages in 4 minutes. What is the unit rate in pages per minute?

Check your answer

62.5 pages per minute

250 ÷ 4 = 62.5 pages per minute.

Sentence starter

I know ___ because ___.

Goal: I can explain my comparison using the words unit rate, better buy, per unit, and rate.