When you shop online, you see lots of different prices and deals. This is where unit rates come in handy! A unit rate helps you compare two different things by making one of them equal to one. For example, it can show you the price per item or miles per hour. With unit rates, you can easily find out which deal is better!

Why Use Unit Rates?

Unit rates help you know how much you pay for each item or service. This is super helpful when products come in different sizes or amounts. Instead of getting confused by the total price, you can see how much one unit costs.

How to Calculate Unit Rates

Let's say you want to buy two types of cereal:

• Pack A: 500 grams for £3.00
• Pack B: 750 grams for £4.00

To find the price for each gram (this is called unit rate), do these calculations:

1. For Pack A:

   • £3.00 divided by 500 grams is £0.006 per gram.
   • So, it looks like this: [ \text{Unit Rate for Pack A} = \frac{3.00}{500} = 0.006 \text{ £/gram} ]

2. For Pack B:

   • £4.00 divided by 750 grams is about £0.0053 per gram.
   • This calculation looks like: [ \text{Unit Rate for Pack B} = \frac{4.00}{750} \approx 0.0053 \text{ £/gram} ]

Now, when you compare the two, you see that Pack B is cheaper at about £0.0053 per gram, while Pack A costs £0.006 per gram.

Look Out for Multi-Packs

Sometimes, you might find a good deal on multi-packs. For example:

• Multi-Pack: 2 packs of 300 grams for £5.00.

To find the unit rate:

• First, add the total grams: 300 grams × 2 = 600 grams.
• Then, do the calculation: [ \text{Unit Rate for Multi-Pack} = \frac{5.00}{600} \approx 0.0083 \text{ £/gram} ]

In this case, even though you get more cereal, the price per gram is more than both Pack A and Pack B.

Conclusion

Using unit rates to compare products helps you make smart choices and save money. So the next time you're shopping online, grab a calculator and use this simple math to find the best deals! Happy shopping!