Departament de Cincies Experimentals i Tecnologia

Cincies Naturals. 3 ESO.

CONVERSION FACTORS
. A conversion factor is a fraction whose numerator and denominator are the same
quantity expressed in different units. For example, 2.54 cm and 1 in. are the same
length, 2.54 cm 1 in. This relationship allows us to write two conersion factors!
"e use the first of these factors to conert inches to centimeters. For example, the
length in centimeters of an o#$ect that is %.5& in. long is gien #y
The units of inches in the denominator of the conersion factor cancel the units of
inches in the gien data '%.5& inches(. The centimeters in the numerator of the
conersion factor #ecome the units of the final answer. )ecause the numerator and
denominator of a conersion factor are equal, multiplying any quantity #y a
conersion factor is equialent to multiplying #y the num#er 1 and so does not
change the intrinsic alue of the quantity. The length %.5& in. is the same as 21.* cm.
+n general, we #egin any conersion #y examining the units of the gien data and the
units we desire. "e then as, ourseles what conersion factors we hae aaila#le to
ta,e us from the units of the gien quantity to those of the desired one. "hen we
multiply a quantity #y a conersion factor, the units multiply and diide as follows!
+f the desired units are not o#tained in a calculation, then an error must hae #een
made somewhere. -areful inspection of units often reeals the source of the error.
SAMPLE EERCISE !."
+f a woman has a mass of 115 l#, what is her mass in grams. '/se the relationships
#etween units gien on the #ac, inside coer of the text.(
Solution )ecause we want to change from l# to g, we loo, for a relationship #etween
these units of mass. From the #ac, inside coer we hae 1 l# 450.* g. +n order to
cancel pounds and leae grams, we write the conersion factor with grams in the
numerator and pounds in the denominator!
The answer can #e gien to only three significant figures, the num#er of significant
figures in 115 l#.
PRACTICE EERCISE
)y using a conersion factor from the #ac, inside coer, determine the length in
,ilometers of a 5&&.&1mi automo#ile race.
Answer: %&4.2 ,m
#sin$ T%o or More Conversion Factors
+t is often necessary to use more than one conersion factor in the solution of a
pro#lem. For example, suppose we want to ,now the length in inches of an %.&&1m
rod. The ta#le on the #ac, inside coer doesn3t gie the relationship #etween meters
and inches. +t does gie the relationship #etween centimeters and inches '1 in.
2.54 cm(, though, and from our ,nowledge of metric prefixes we ,now that 1 cm
Thus, we can conert step #y step, first from meters to centimeters, and
then from centimeters to inches as diagrammed in the column.
-om#ining the gien quantity '%.&& m( and the two conersion factors, we hae
The first conersion factor is applied to cancel meters and conert the length to
centimeters. Thus, meters are written in the denominator and centimeters in the
numerator. The second conersion factor is written to cancel centimeters, so it has
centimeters in the denominator and inches, the desired unit, in the numerator.
SAMPLE EERCISE !.!&
The aerage speed of a nitrogen molecule in air at 254- is 515 -onert this
speed to miles per hour.
Solution To go from the gien units, to the desired units, we must
conert meters to miles and seconds to hours. From the relationships gien on the
#ac, inside coer of the #oo,, we find that 1 mi 1.*&50 ,m. From our ,nowledge
of metric prefixes we ,now that 1 ,m 1&
0
m. Thus, we can conert m to ,m and
then conert ,m to mi. From our ,nowledge of time we ,now that *& s 1 min and
*& min 1 hr. Thus, we can conert s to min and then conert min to hr.
Applying first the conersions for distance and then those for time, we can set up one
long equation in which unwanted units are canceled!
6ur answer has the desired units. "e can chec, our calculation using the estimating
procedure descri#ed in the preious 78trategies7 #ox. The gien speed is a#out
5&& 9iiding #y 1&&& conerts m to ,m, giing &.5 )ecause 1 mi is
a#out 1.* ,m, this speed corresponds to :ultiplying #y *&
gies a#out :ultiplying again #y *&
gies The approximate solution 'a#out ( and
the detailed solution ' ( are reasona#ly close. The answer to the detailed
solution has three significant figures, corresponding to the num#er of significant
figures in the gien speed in
PRACTICE EERCISE
A car traels 2% mi per gallon of gasoline. ;ow many ,ilometers per liter will it go.
Answer: 12 ,m <
#sin$ 'ensit( as a Conversion Factor
The conersion factors preiously noted conert from one unit of a gien measure to
another unit of the same measure, such as from length to length. "e also hae
conersion factors that conert from one measure to a different one. The )ensit( of a
su#stance, for example, can #e treated as a conersion factor #etween mass and
olume. 8uppose that we want to ,now the mass in grams of two cu#ic inches '2.&&
in.
0
( of gold, which has a density of 15.0 g cm
0
. The density gies us the following
factors!
)ecause the answer we want is a mass in grams, we can see that we will use the first
of these factors, which has mass in grams in the numerator. To use this factor,
howeer, we must first conert cu#ic inches to cu#ic centimeters. The relationship
#etween in.
0
and cm
0
is not gien on the #ac, inside coer, #ut the relationship
#etween inches and centimeters is gien! 1 in. 2.54 cm 'exactly(. -u#ing #oth
sides of this equation gies '1 in.(
0
'2.54 cm(
0
from which we write the desired
conersion factor!
=otice that #oth the num#ers and the units are cu#ed. Also, #ecause 2.54 is an exact
num#er, we can retain as many digits of '2.54(
0
as we need. "e hae used four, one
more than the num#er of digits in the density '15.0 g cm
0
(. Applying our conersion
factors, we can now sole the pro#lem!
The final answer is reported to three significant figures, the same num#er of
significant figures as is in 2.&& and 15.0.
SAMPLE EERCISE !.!!
"hat is the mass in grams of 1.&& gal of water. The density of water is 1.&& g m<.
Solution )efore we #egin soling this exercise, we note the following!
1. "e are gien 1.&& gal of water.
2. "e wish to o#tain the mass in grams.
0. "e hae the following conersion factors either gien, commonly ,nown, or
aaila#le on the #ac, inside coer of the text!
The first of these conersion factors must #e used as written 'with grams in the
numerator( to gie the desired result, whereas the last conersion factor must #e
inerted in order to cancel gallons. The solution is gien #y
The units of our final answer are appropriate, and we3e also ta,en care of our
significant figures. "e can further chec, our calculation #y the estimation procedure.
"e can round 1.&52 off to 1. Focusing on the num#ers that don3t equal 1 then gies
merely in agreement with the detailed calculation.
PRACTICE EERCISE
a. -alculate the mass of 1.&& qt of #en>ene if it has a density of &.%25 g m<.
#. +f the olume of an o#$ect is reported as 5.& ft
0
, what is the olume in cu#ic
meters.
Answers: *a+ %02 g? *,+ &.14 m
0
EXERCICES
1. -onert 45*2.0* micrograms to ,ilograms.
2. -onert 425 miles to ,ilometers.
0. "hat is the olume in litres of *4.5*2 pounds of ethanol at 2& 4-.
4. The la#el on a can of cat food tells you there are &.54 l# of cat food per can with
&.15@ calcium. +f there are three serings per can, how many grams of calcium
are in each sering.
5. "hen 2.0542 ,g of the sugar glucose are #urned 'com#usted(, 02,20& ,A of heat
are eoled. "hat is the heat of com#ustion of glucose in ABg. ';eat eoled is
descri#ed with a negatie sign.(
*. The diameter of a proton is 2 C 1&15 meters. "hat is this diameter in
nanometers.
2. The mass of an electron is 5.1&50%52 C 1&01 ,g. "hat is this mass in
nanograms.
%. There are 4.&2& C 1&* l# of sulphuric acid used to ma,e Aell16 each year.
-onert this to ,ilograms.
5. A piece of 8tyrofoam has a mass of %%.52% g and a olume of 2.5*55 <. "hat is
its density in gBm<.
1&. The density of #lood plasma is 1.&0 gBm<. A typical adult has a#out 2.5 < of
#lood plasma. "hat is the mass in ,ilograms of this amount of #lood plasma.
11. A piece of #alsa wood has a mass of 15.15* g and a olume of &.12** <. "hat
is its density in gBm<.
12. A #all of clay has a mass of 2.*5 l# and a olume of &.5&25 qt. "hat is its
density in gBm<.
10. The density of water at & 4- is &.555%2 gBm<. "hat is the mass in ,ilograms of
1%5.& m< of water.
14. The density of water at 0.5% 4- is 1.&&&&& gBm<. "hat is the mass in pounds of
1*.2%5 < of water.
15. . 8ound traels at a elocity of 000 mBs. ;ow long does it ta,e for sound to
trael the length of a 1&&1yard foot#all field.
1*. Dain signals are transferred through the nerous system at a speed #etween 12
and 0& meters per second. +f a student drops a text#oo, on her toe, how long will
it ta,e for the signal, traelling at a elocity of 1% meters per second, to reach
her #rain *.& feet away.
12. An electron ta,es *.2 C 1&5 seconds to trael across a TE set that is 22 inches
wide. "hat is the elocity of the electron in ,mBhr.
1%. The mass of the ocean is a#out 1.% C 1&21 ,g. +f the ocean contains &.&41@ #y
mass calcium ions, -a
2F
, how many tons of -a
2F
are in the ocean. 'There are
2&&& pounds per ton.(
15. "hen you are at rest, your heart pumps a#out 5.& litres of #lood per minute.
Gour #rain gets a#out 15@ #y olume of your #lood. "hat olume of #lood in
liters is pumped through your #rain in 1.& hour of rest.
2&. The mass of the ocean is a#out 1.% C 1&21 ,g. +f the ocean contains 1.&2*@ #y
mass sodium ions, =aF, what is the mass in ,ilograms of =aF in the ocean.
21. "hile you are at rest, your #rain gets a#out 15@ #y olume of your #lood. +f
your #ody contains 5.2 < of #lood, how many litres of #lood are in your #rain at
rest.Hhow many quarts.
22. "hile you are doing heay wor,, your heart pumps up to 25.& < of #lood per
minute. Gour #rain gets a#out 014@ #y olume of your #lood under these
conditions. "hat olume of #lood in litres is pumped through your #rain in 125
minutes of wor, that causes your heart to pump 22.& < per minute, 0.40@ of
which goes to your #rain.
20. The mass of the ocean is a#out 1.% C 1&21 ,g. +f the ocean contains 1.&2*@ #y
mass sodium ions, =aF, what is the mass in ,ilograms of =aF in the ocean.
24. "hile you are at rest, your #rain gets a#out 15@ #y olume of your #lood. +f
your #ody contains 5.2 < of #lood, how many litres of #lood are in your #rain at
rest.H
25. The aerage heart rate is 25 #eatsBmin. Iach #eat pumps a#out 25 m< of #lood.
;ow many liters of #lood does the aerage personJs heart pump in a wee,.
2*. "hile you are doing heay wor,, your heart pumps up to 25.& < of #lood per
minute. Gour #rain gets a#out 014@ #y olume of your #lood under these
conditions. "hat olume of #lood in litres is pumped through your #rain in 125
minutes of wor, that causes your heart to pump 22.& < per minute, 0.40@ of
which goes to your #rain.
22. "e lose #etween &.2 and 1 liter of water from our s,in and sweat glands each day.
For a person who loses an aerage of &.%5 < ;26 per day in this manner, how many
quarts of water are lost from the s,in and sweat glands in 0& days.