Question

A tank pumps out liquid at a rate of 12 gallons every 20 days.

What is the unit rate in gallons per week?

Enter your answer as a mixed number in simplest form in the box.

gal/week

Answer 1

To find the unit rate in gallons per week, we start with the information provided: the tank pumps out 12 gallons every 20 days.

First, we need to determine how many gallons are pumped out in one week (7 days). To do this, we can find the pumping rate in gallons per day first.

1. Calculate the rate in gallons per day:
\[
\text{Gallons per day} = \frac{12 \text{ gallons}}{20 \text{ days}} = \frac{12}{20} = \frac{3}{5} \text{ gallons per day}
\]

2. Next, we convert this to gallons per week:
\[
\text{Gallons per week} = \left(\frac{3}{5} \text{ gallons per day}\right) \times 7 \text{ days} = \frac{3 \times 7}{5} = \frac{21}{5} \text{ gallons}
\]

3. Now, we convert \(\frac{21}{5}\) into a mixed number. Dividing 21 by 5 gives:
\[
21 \div 5 = 4 \quad \text{(with a remainder of 1)}
\]
Thus, \(\frac{21}{5} = 4 \frac{1}{5}\).

Therefore, the unit rate in gallons per week is:
\[
\boxed{4 \frac{1}{5}} \text{ gal/week}
\]