1. Metrics and Conversions
Physics Fall 2014

2. Mathematics is the Language of Physics (and science in general)
One of the simplest applications of math in physics is to measure things.
The key to communicating measurements is to remember the number cannot be naked – the number needs to be followed by the units it represents.
You want to use units of measure that are standardized.
Would you be getting more soda with 1Liter or with 20 oz?
1 L equals 33.8 fluid ounces.

3. You also want to know what dimension or aspect of an item or phenomenon you are measuring
Some dimensions we will measure are:
Mass
Volume
distance
Time
Temperature
Write their definitions and the units of measure we should use.

4. Some measurements are more complex
For example:
Speed and acceleration
They involve rates or comparisons of two unlike dimensions
Speed = distance compared to time
We will define and write units for these very soon.

5. Let’s look at how to approach this issue.
Sometimes…
You have to measure with equipment that does not allow you to measure in the standard measurement units for a particular physics dimension such as with speed.
Let’s look at how to approach this issue.

6. First: Multiplying fractions review
When given a problem like this:
1 x 2 = __
5 3
how do you solve it?
You multiply straight across!
Do this one on your notes:
3 x 3 = __
2 4

7. Cancel out if possible What about if you are given this problem:
3 x 2 = __
4 3
You could multiply straight across and then simplify…
or you could cancel out first to make the problem easier
So, where are we going with these math skills?

8. Conversions what does it means to convert?
To convert means to change from one to another
But at this time what are we converting between?
Usually in science it is from one unit to another
In a scientific measurement answer : A unit is a word or abbreviation that comes after the number and describes what that number means.
And again, why is important to include units with numbers
100 Vs 100 dollars vs 100 cents vs 100 miles

9. Conversions cont’d
How many shoes do you have if you have 6 pairs of shoes?
How did you figure out that you would have 12 shoes?
How many roses do you have if you are given 4 dozen roses?
How did you figure out that there would be 48 roses?
The fact that there are 2 shoes in a pair of shoes or 12 roses in a dozen roses represent a shoes roses
1 pair shoes dozen roses

10. Conversion Factor Can you think of any you might already use?
fractions in which the value of the numerator is equal to the denominator, but the units , and therefore also the numbers, are different.
What are some conversions factors you may already use?
Any for time?
Can you think of any you might already use?

12. Convert this Use a conversion factor to convert 3 hours into minutes:
What is the conversion factor?
There are 60 minutes in an hour so: 1hr or 60 min
60 min I hr
Set up the problem
3 hr x ______ = ______ min 1
*** remember, you want to cancel hours and be left with minutes, so which of the two versions of this conversion factor will you use?

13. Convert this:
Use a conversion factor to convert 360 minutes into hours:
What is the conversion factor?
Set up the problem

14. Convert this:
Use a conversion factor to convert 96 inches into feet:

15. What does this have to do with science?
Only the method used to convert values of measurements that are equal.
In the US, we use a group (or system) of measurement units called the empirical system.
In science we use METRICS!!!!

16. What do you remember/know about metrics?
Used for different scientific measurements
Based on the number “10”
Base units depend on the dimension or aspect you are measuring for example:
dimension unit
Mass gram
Volume liter
Distance (length) meter

17. Metric terms
Prefixes are parts of words that come “before” another word or word part
Metric prefixes:
Kilo (K) = 1000
Hecto (H) = 100
Deca (D) = 10
Base unit = 1
deci (d) = 1/10
centi (c) = 1/100
milli (m) = 1/1000
Note: the prefix is not a unit of measure, so it cannot stand alone.

18. Mnemonic To help you remember the prefixes in order:
Killer Hippos Digging Under Dirt Can’t March
Or you may already know
King Henry Died by Drinking Chocolate Milk

19. The prefix is used with a base unit of measure to represent a larger or smaller unit of the same type of dimension.
For example:
Kilometer vs. Millimeter
Kiloliter vs. Milliliter
Decaliter vs. Centiliter

20. Conversion factors for metrics
Up to this point, you have probably converted between the metric prefixes by simply moving the decimal, right?
Not anymore!
Now, you must use/show the correct conversion factors when converting between the various prefixes – this is called dimensional analysis

21. dimensional analysis Conversion factors examples:
1 Km or m mm or m
1000m Km m cm
cm or m
m cm

22. Let’s convert! Convert 3.5 m to cm
1. What is the correct conversion factor?
1m or cm
100 cm 1m
2. Solve the problem
3.5 m x 100 cm = ________ cm m
** Which conversion factor will allow you to correctly cancel your starting units and leave you with the correct ending units? **

23. We’ll work one together
Covert 2.56 mm to m
1. What is the correct conversion factor?
2. Set up the problem and solve

24. Your turn!
Convert 3.4 Km to m

25. A bit more difficult Convert 1.25 Km to cm
Can you go directly from Km to cm?
No, you have to do this in two steps so you need two conversion factors
1. 1 Km or m
1000m Km
m or 100 cm
100 cm m
So we will use 1000 m and cm
1Km m
** Which conversion factor will allow you to correctly cancel your starting units and leave you with the correct ending units? **

26. Now you have to line them up
Solve the problem:
1.25 Km x 1000 m x 100 cm =
Km I m
Note you will cancel out both units in the first conversion factor

27. Work it together Covert 3.2 mm to Hm
1. What is the correct conversion factor?
2. Set up the problem and solve

28. On your own
Convert 93.2 cm to Dm

29. Homework:
Complete the conversion worksheet that will be passed out

30. This is too easy…. So let’s make it a bit harder
Can you convert 8km/hr into m/s?
Of course you can – this is called a double conversion
Where you are converting two different units in the same problem
The key to solving these is to convert them separately
8Km x m x hr x min = m/s
1 hr Km min s

31. Let’s do another one together
Convert 575 Km/hr to cm/min
575Km x x x = cm/min
1 hr

32. One more for good measure
Convert 2500 cm/sec m/min