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Calculate 3/5 kilometer in 1/4 hour

Step by step, with the reason for every step · Unit rates with fractions · Foundations

Step by step

The question

Question: 3/5 kilometer in 1/4 hour: how much is that per hour?

35 kilometer in 14 hour

A unit rate says how much for 1 hour.

Per hour means: divide by the hours.

per hour = ÷ hours

1 Write the rate

Kilometers divided by hours: 3/5 ÷ 1/4.

= 35 ÷ 14
kilometers ÷ hours

Careful!

Not the other way round.

That would be hours per kilometer.

Careful: not 14 ÷ 35 ✗

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.

÷ 14 → × 41

So 1/4 becomes 4, and divide becomes times.

= 35 × 41

To multiply fractions, we do top times top, and bottom times bottom.

A whole number is a fraction over 1.

= 3 × 45 × 1

3 times 4 is 12.

5 times 1 is 5.

So the unit rate is 12/5 kilometers per hour.

= 125 kilometers per hour

3 Check

Let's check: 12/5 kilometers per hour, for 1/4 hour.

12/5 times 1/4 is 3/5.

That is the kilometers we started with.

So the answer is right!

125 × 14 = 35

Let's look back.

First: write the rate.

Then: divide.

Last: check.

Answer
= 125 kilometers per hour

Your turn

Try this one yourself, then check:

25 kilometer in 19 hour
Show the answer
185 kilometers per hour

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