Step by step
The question
Question: 1/2 cup of flour for 1/4 batch: how much is that per batch?
A unit rate says how much for 1 batch.
Per batch means: divide by the batchs.
1 Write the rate
Cups divided by batchs: 1/2 ÷ 1/4.
Careful!
Not the other way round.
That would be batchs per cup.
2 Divide
Dividing by a fraction is the same as times its flip.
Keep the first number.
Change divide to times.
Turn the second fraction upside down.
So 1/4 becomes 4, and divide becomes times.
Before we multiply, we make the numbers smaller.
4 on top and 2 at the bottom both divide by 2.
A top and a bottom divided by the same number: the answer stays the same.
So we multiply smaller numbers.
1 times 2 is 2.
So the unit rate is 2 cups of flour per batch.
3 Check
Let's check: 2 cups of flour per batch, for 1/4 batch.
2 times 1/4 is 1/2.
That is the cups of flour we started with.
So the answer is right!
Let's look back.
First: write the rate.
Then: divide.
Last: check.