What is the definition of a rate in Grade 6 math?

• A. A ratio of quantities using different units.
• B. A sum of quantities with the same unit.
• C. The product of two numbers.
• D. A ratio of quantities with the same unit.

Answer: (A)

A rate is a way to compare two quantities that have different units, like miles per hour or dollars per item. It shows how much of one thing happens in a certain amount of the other, using different units. For example, 60 miles per hour means you travel 60 miles in one hour, which is a rate because miles and hours are different units. The other ideas describe adding quantities with the same unit, multiplying numbers, or using a ratio with the same unit, which don’t define a rate.