A rate is a ratio that compares two quantities of different units. For example, if you travel 150 miles in 3 hours, the rate would be written as 150 miles/3 hours. This tells you how many miles you travel for every hour spent.
A unit rate, on the other hand, is a specific type of rate where one of the quantities is reduced to one unit. Continuing with the previous example, if you want to know your speed in miles per hour (a unit rate), you would divide 150 miles by 3 hours to get 50 miles per hour. This means you travel 50 miles for every 1 hour.
In summary, the key difference is that a rate can compare two different quantities, while a unit rate standardizes that comparison to one unit, making it easier to understand or compare different rates effectively.