Question

It takes Zoe 12.5 minutes to swim 20 laps around the pool. What is Zoe’s unit rate?

Answer 1

Her swimming rate can either be written as 1.6 laps per (one) minute or as 0.625 minutes per lap = 37.5 seconds per (one) lap.

Explanation:

In terms of number of laps per minute, the answer is `(20\mbox{ laps})/(12.5\mbox{ minutes})=1.6` laps per minute.

In terms of the number of minutes per lap, the answer is `(12.5\mbox{ minutes})/(20\mbox{ laps})=5/8=0.625` minutes per lap. This is the same as `0.625\mbox{min}/\mbox{lap} * 60\mbox{sec}/\mbox{min}=37.5\mbox{sec}/\mbox{lap}`

The faster she goes, the more laps she can do in a minute and the fewer minutes (or seconds) it takes her to do one lap.