Final answer:
Michael's unit rate of speed is 25 meters per second, calculated by dividing the distance of 400 meters by the time of 16 seconds.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the unit rate of Michael's speed in meters per second (m/s), we need to divide the distance he ran by the time it took. Michael ran a 400-meter dash in 16 seconds. By dividing 400 meters by 16 seconds, we get a unit rate of 400 m / 16 s = 25 m/s. Therefore, Michael's speed is 25 meters per second.
This calculation is based on the relationship between distance, time, and speed where speed is equal to the distance traveled divided by the time taken. This method is comparable to an Olympic sprinter running 100 meters in 10 seconds, giving a speed of 10 m/s, as a unit rate is simply a specific form of rate where the second quantity is one.