CHAPTER ONE

MATERIAL BALANCE OF METALLURGICALSYSTE MS

GROUP 1

1.1 Dimensions and Units

A dimension is something that can be measured or quantified. The best known dimensions are distance related: length, area (length squared), and volume (length cubed). Mass and time are also dimensions; so are more complex variables like viscosity, tensile strength, and electrical resistivity, etc. Dimensions are grouped into two types: simple and derived. Derived dimensions are those that are a function of two or more other dimensions. Velocity, for example, is a unit of length (miles, feet, microns, etc.) divided by a unit of time (minutes, hours, days).

 The concept of a unit is as old as the need of mankind to measure something: e.g. a time interval, the distance a spear could be thrown, the size and weight of a rock, etc. A unit is a standard magnitude of a given dimension against which other magnitudes of that dimension can be compared. The width of this page is equal to seven of a unit of length called an inch; the thickness of this book is equal to a few hundred of a unit called a page.

 It is well known that there is more than one available unit for nearly all dimensions; for commonly used dimensions such as weight and length, there are literally dozens of units. Among the reasons for this are the

"popularity" of the particular dimension, the history of a dimension, convenience, and lack of communication. The system used most often are: The English System of Units: this system is based on foot pound-second; therefore, this system is called the FDS system. The French System of Units: this system is based on centimeter-gram-second; therefore, this system is called the CGS system.

The

InternationalSystem

ofUnits:this

system is better known as the SI system; this system is based on meter-kilogram-second.