Unit Rates — SAT Math Explained
A rate with a denominator of 1, expressing how much of one quantity corresponds to exactly one unit of another. Examples: miles per hour, price per item, words per minute.
The Core Idea
Unit rates make comparison easy — by standardizing to 'per one unit', you can directly compare rates that originally use different scales.
Key Vocabulary
A ratio comparing two quantities with different units
A rate with denominator of 1: 60 miles/1 hour
Means 'for each one' — the word that signals a unit rate
The option with the lower unit price
Finding Unit Rates
Divide the numerator by the denominator
Example: 150 miles in 3 hours → 150 ÷ 3 = 50 miles per hour
Example: $8.40 for 12 ounces → $8.40 ÷ 12 = $0.70 per ounce
Applications Table
Distance ÷ Time = miles/hour or km/hour
Total Cost ÷ Quantity = dollars/item
Total Earnings ÷ Hours = dollars/hour
Mass ÷ Volume = grams/cm³
Miles ÷ Gallons = miles/gallon
Common Errors to Avoid
Dividing in the wrong order (getting hours/mile instead of miles/hour)
Not labeling units in the answer
Comparing rates without converting them to the same unit rate
Practice: Unit Rates
5 SAT-style questions. Select your answer and get an instant explanation.
A car travels 240 miles in 4 hours. What is the unit rate (speed)?
Want More Unit Rates Practice?
Blitzsat's question bank has thousands of SAT-style questions across every topic in Problem Solving & Data Analysis. Filter by topic and difficulty. Get AI-powered questions generated from your own notes.
Practice & Explore: Unit Rates
Apply what you just learned — practice questions, full tests, and related study resources.