Final answer:
To find the unit rate of evaporation in inches per hour, divide 5/8 inches by 4.5 hours. This calculation results in a unit rate of 5/36 inches per hour for the water evaporation from the pool.
Step-by-step explanation:
Water is evaporating from a pool at a rate of 5/8 of an inch every 4.5 hours. To find the unit rate at which the water is evaporating in terms of inches per hour, we can use the following steps:
Take the total inches evaporated (5/8 inches) and divide it by the total hours (4.5 hours).Doing this calculation, (5/8) ÷ 4.5 = (5/8) ÷ (9/2), since 4.5 is the same as 9/2.Multiply by the reciprocal of 9/2, which gives us (5/8) × (2/9).The result of this multiplication gives us the unit rate, which is the rate of evaporation per hour.Calculating this, we find that the water is evaporating at a rate of (5/8) × (2/9) = 5/36 inches per hour.