CE 1301- Homework # 4, Unit Conversion & Estimation Exercises

1 - Convert the following values from current units used, to the new units requested & to
values expressed with fundamental SI units (m kg s). As an aid, a table of unit conversion
values can be downloaded from the class content section of blackboard.

Value Value with new units of: With fundamental SI units

100 ft hr-1 m hr-1
100 lbf N
14.7 psi Pa
1 atm mm Hg
299 hectare km2
800 hp kW
55 mile hr-1 km s-1
400 Btu J
3 cSt km2 s-1
100 cP Pa s
Example Example Example

1 gal 3.785 L 3.785 10-3 m3

2 - How many cubic yards of concrete is required to construct 5 miles of highway?

First, consider the following assumptions. In case of rough estimation, choose the most
reasonable number which is closest to your own estimate. Show your work with unit conversions
for full credit.

There are (12, 4, 16) lanes.

Each lane is (36, 12, 6) ft wide.

The road way is paved with (0.5, 20, 2) ft of material.

(12, 3, 24) ft wide shoulders on each side of the road.

3 - How many liters of water would be saved if everyone in the United States who does not
turn off the faucet while they brush their teeth, did so? Assume One-third of people leave
water running while bushing.

First, consider the following assumptions. In case of rough estimation, choose the most
reasonable number which is closest to your own estimate. Show your work with unit conversions
for full credit.

Average number of tooth brushings per person per day is (5, 10, 0, 1).
The population of the United States is (300 million, 75 billion , 75 million, 300 billion)

Average time to bush teeth is (2, 20 , 10 , 0.2) minutes.

Average faucet flow rate is ( 10, 0.2, 20, 2) gal/min.

4 - If all the land (both currently inhabitated and all the inhabitable land) were divided
equally among the people now living, how many acres of land would each one have?

First, consider the following assumptions. In case of rough estimation, choose the most
reasonable number which is closest to your own estimate.

The diameter of the earth is (800, 12,000, 8,000 18,000) miles.

The faction fraction of the total surface that is land is (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9).

The number of people on earth is (700 million, 35 billion, 7 billion, 70 billion, 900 million, 100
million).