Calculate Flow Rate: Converting 20 Liters per 5 Minutes to Liters per Minute

Q: What exactly is a unit rate?

A unit rate tells you how much of something happens in exactly one unit of time. In this case, we want to know how many liters flow in exactly 1 minute.

Q: Why do I divide 20 by 5 and not 5 by 20?

Because we want liters per minute, not minutes per liter! Always put the quantity you're measuring (liters) on top and the time unit (minutes) on bottom: $ \frac{\text{liters}}{\text{minutes}} $

Q: What if the numbers don't divide evenly?

That's okay! Unit rates can be decimals. For example, if you had 7 liters in 3 minutes, the rate would be $ \frac{7}{3} = 2.33... $ liters per minute.

Q: Can I use this method for other unit rates?

Absolutely! This works for speed (miles per hour), wages (dollars per hour), or any rate. Just remember: What you're measuring goes on topThe time unit goes on bottom

Unit Rate Calculations with Time Conversion

A tank fills with water at a rate of 20 liters every 5 minutes.
What is the flow rate of the water in liters per minute?

❤️ Continue Your Math Journey!

We have hundreds of course questions with personalized recommendations + Account 100% premium

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

A tank fills with water at a rate of 20 liters every 5 minutes.
What is the flow rate of the water in liters per minute?

Step-by-step solution

The total volume of water that fills the tank is $20$ liters over $5$ minutes. The flow rate is given by the volume divided by time:
$\text{Flow Rate} = \frac{\text{Total Volume}}{\text{Time}} = \frac{20}{5} = 4$
Thus, the water flows at a rate of $4$ liters per minute.

Final Answer

$4$ liters/minute

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Definition: Unit rate means amount per single unit of measurement
Technique: Divide total amount by total time: $\frac{20}{5} = 4$
Check: Verify by multiplying back: 4 liters/minute × 5 minutes = 20 liters ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Dividing time by volume instead of volume by time
Don't calculate $\frac{5}{20} = 0.25$ = wrong unit rate! This gives minutes per liter instead of liters per minute. Always divide the quantity you want per unit by the time period.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

What is the ratio between the orange and gray parts in the drawing?

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

What exactly is a unit rate?

A unit rate tells you how much of something happens in exactly one unit of time. In this case, we want to know how many liters flow in exactly 1 minute.

Why do I divide 20 by 5 and not 5 by 20?

Because we want liters per minute, not minutes per liter! Always put the quantity you're measuring (liters) on top and the time unit (minutes) on bottom: $\frac{\text{liters}}{\text{minutes}}$

How can I remember which number goes where?

Think about what the question is asking for. If it wants "liters per minute," then liters go on top and minutes go on bottom. The word "per" means "divided by"!

What if the numbers don't divide evenly?

That's okay! Unit rates can be decimals. For example, if you had 7 liters in 3 minutes, the rate would be $\frac{7}{3} = 2.33...$ liters per minute.

Can I use this method for other unit rates?

Absolutely! This works for speed (miles per hour), wages (dollars per hour), or any rate. Just remember:

What you're measuring goes on top
The time unit goes on bottom

🌟 Unlock Your Math Potential

Get unlimited access to all 18 Ratio, Proportion and Scale questions, detailed video solutions, and personalized progress tracking.

📹

Unlimited Video Solutions

Step-by-step explanations for every problem

📊

Progress Analytics

Track your mastery across all topics

🚫

Ad-Free Learning

Focus on math without distractions

No credit card required • Cancel anytime