A physical quantity must include:
Number
+ Unit
Calculation Corner: Unit Conversion
1 foot = 12 inches
1 foot
12 inches
=
1
12 inches
1 foot
=
1
Calculation Corner: Unit Conversion
1 foot
12 inches
12 inches
1 foot
“Conversion factors”
How many inches are in 3 feet?
( 3 feet ) ( 12 inches
1 foot
)
= 36 inches
How many cm are in 1.32 meters?
equality: 1 m = 100 cm
(or 0.01 m = 1 cm)
applicable conversion factors:
______
1m
100 cm
X cm = 1.32 m
or
(
100 cm
______
1m
100 cm
______
1m
)
= 132 cm
How many meters is 8.72 cm?
equality: 1 m = 100 cm
applicable conversion factors:
______
1m
100 cm
X m = 8.72 cm
or
(
1m
______
100 cm
100 cm
______
1m
)
=
0.0872 m
Again, the units must cancel.
How many feet is 39.37 inches?
equality: 1 ft = 12 in
applicable conversion factors:
______
1 ft
12 in
X ft = 39.37 in
______
12 in
1 ft
or
(
1 ft
____
12 in
)
=
3.28 ft
Again, the units must cancel.
How many seconds is 4.38 days?
X s = 4.38 d
( )(
24 h
____
1d
= 378,432 s
60
min
_____
1h
)(
60 s
____
1 min
)
Convert 3 meters to inches?
X in = 3 m
=
(
100
cm
____
1m
118.11 inches
)(
1 inch
______
2.54 cm
)
1.6 Activity
Unit Conversions
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
29.134 in.
7.382 g
7.716 lbs
99.419 mi
.0000036 m3
17.65 oz
109.36 yds
10.14 ounces
9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
1.323 lbs
20.591 in
600 sec
730 days
40.23 km/hr
54.24 mi/hr
41.01 ft/s
567.36 in/min
26.82 m/s