Grade 6 · Math · Lesson 10

Unit Rates and Proportional Reasoning

A rate compares two quantities that have different units — like miles and hours, or dollars and pounds. A unit rate is a special rate where the second quantity equals 1. Unit rates make it easy to compare speeds, prices, and densities because every comparison is now "for one unit" of the same thing.

What this lesson teaches

1Compute a unit rate by dividing the first quantity by the second quantity
2Express a unit rate using the word "per" to make the meaning clear
3Use unit rates to compare prices, speeds, and other real-world rates
4Identify the better buy by comparing two unit prices for the same item

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