Correctly Setting Up Unit Price Calculations
Unit price is the cost per one unit, always calculated by dividing total cost by number of units. A pack of 4 pens for 5.00 dollars has unit price 5.00 divided by 4 = 1.25 dollars per pen. The critical rule: money goes in the numerator. Dividing pens by price gives pens per dollar — not price per pen. A 16-oz bottle of juice for 3.20 dollars costs 0.20 dollars per oz. This precision, emphasized in Reveal Math, Course 1, Module 1, prevents one of the most common setup errors in 6th grade ratio problems.
Key Concepts
Unit price is a specific type of unit rate that tells you the cost for exactly one item or one unit of measurement. To find the unit price, you must always divide the total cost by the number of units. The money always goes on top (the numerator):.
$$\text{Unit Price} = \frac{\text{Total Cost}}{\text{Number of Units}}$$.
Common Questions
What is unit price?
Unit price is the cost for exactly one item or one unit of measurement. It is always calculated as total cost divided by number of units.
How do I correctly set up a unit price calculation?
Put the total cost in the numerator and the number of units in the denominator. Unit price = total cost divided by number of units.
4 pens cost 5.00 dollars. What is the unit price?
Unit price = 5.00 divided by 4 = 1.25 dollars per pen.
What happens if I divide units by price instead of price by units?
You get units per dollar, which tells you how many items you get for one dollar — not how much one item costs. That is a different (and usually less useful) rate.
How do I remember which number goes on top in unit price?
Remember the phrase price per unit. Price goes first — meaning price goes on top (numerator) and units go on the bottom (denominator).
When do 6th graders learn unit price setup?
Module 1 of Reveal Math, Course 1 covers unit price in the Ratios and Rates unit.