A unit rate is a type of ratio that compares a quantity to one unit of another quantity. In simpler terms, it expresses how many units of one quantity correspond to a single unit of another quantity. The unit rate allows for easy interpretation and comparison of rates.
To determine the unit rate when given a specific rate (like the number of eggs provided by a certain number of chickens), you divide the quantity in question by the denominator so that it reflects a rate for one unit of that denominator.
In your example, you have 120 eggs from 20 chickens. To determine the unit rate of eggs per chicken, you divide the total number of eggs by the total number of chickens:
\[ \text{Unit Rate} = \frac{\text{Total number of eggs}}{\text{Total number of chickens}} = \frac{120 \text{ eggs}}{20 \text{ chickens}} = 6 \text{ eggs per chicken} \]
Thus, the unit rate in this case is 6 eggs per chicken, meaning that each chicken lays an average of 6 eggs. This can be interpreted as the number of eggs produced for each chicken, which makes it easier to understand the productivity of the chickens.
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