Question

When both quantities in a rate are fractions, what strategy do you use to write the rate as a unit rate?

a) Divide the numerator by the denominator of the denominator
b) Multiply both the numerator and denominator by the denominator of the denominator
c) Divide the numerator by the numerator of the denominator
d) Invert the numerator and denominator of the denominator

Answer 1

To write a rate where both quantities are fractions as a unit rate, multiply the numerator and denominator by the reciprocal of the denominator, effectively creating a simple fraction with a denominator of 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

When both quantities in a rate are fractions and you want to write the rate as a unit rate, the most straightforward strategy is to divide the numerator by the denominator of the denominator of the rate. This is because a rate compares two quantities and when simplified to a unit rate, one of those quantities should be 1. Therefore, the strategy involves creating a fraction where the denominator is 1. You do this by multiplying both the numerator and the denominator by the reciprocal of the denominator. In simpler terms, you turn the complex fraction into a simple fraction where the denominator is 1 to obtain the unit rate.