Interpret complex expressions by treating meaningful sub-expressions as single units.
Interpret a quotient as a unit rate or average
Problem
A total cost of \(C~\text{dollars}\) covers \(n~\text{items}\). What does \(C/n\) represent? Identify what the numerator and denominator measure, give the quotient's units, and state what the quotient means.
Big Picture
What this problem is really about
A quotient’s meaning follows both its order and its units. We’ll identify the complete quantity in the numerator, the count in the denominator, and divide their units in the same order. Thinking of the division as spreading a total evenly across the counted objects then reveals whether the result is a total, an average, or a unit rate.
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