Notice that a unit price is a type of rate. This means that it is a fraction that has different units in the numerator and denominator. Here are some examples of rates.

Of these, the first rate is a unit price because it gives the price (in dollars) per unit of length, area, volume, weight, quantity, or time. Here are some other examples.

The largest coffee supplying countries, Columbia, Brazil, and Vietnam, have experienced poor crops in recent years due to weather conditions. Coffee manufacturers, such as Maxwell House, Dunkin Donuts, and Folgers, have reported raising prices on their products to meet the demands placed on them by the suffering coffee industry.

Go to CNNMoney.com to watch a video on "Paying more for your cup of Joe."

Remember that fluid ounce is a measure of volume, while ounce is a measure of weight. The use of the term "ounce" for both measures stems from the fact that one fluid ounce of water weighs about one ounce. This relationship is summarized in the saying "A pint's a pound the world around."

There are 16 fluid ounces in a pint. And there are 16 ounces in a pound.