Step by step
The question
Question: 1/2 mile in 1/4 hour: how much is that per hour?
A unit rate says how much for 1 hour.
Per hour means: divide by the hours.
1 Write the rate
Miles divided by hours: 1/2 ÷ 1/4.
Careful!
Not the other way round.
That would be hours per mile.
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 miles per hour.
3 Check
Let's check: 2 miles per hour, for 1/4 hour.
2 times 1/4 is 1/2.
That is the miles we started with.
So the answer is right!
Let's look back.
First: write the rate.
Then: divide.
Last: check.