Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

What is a unit system?

A unit system is a method of taking a measurement. Simple as that. We have units for
distance, time, temperature, pressure, energy, mass, and many more.

Why is it important to have a standard?

It is important to have a standard because otherwise we would have many complications. If
Shaq ONeil tells me to build him a house with the dimensions of a foot, and I use my foot
instead of his, well, he may have a much harder time getting through and around his house
because my foot is significantly smaller.
Along the same concept, if I tell you the directions to my house are 1200 Billy leaps East of
I-95 on Beach Blvd, you will have no idea how to get to my home.

What are some standards that the world uses?

There are two specific systems that the world uses, the metric system (Rest of the world
uses), and the Imperial/English system.
The metric system is a system that is much easier to use because everything is capable of
being multiplied or divided by 10. The imperial system is far more complex because you
have 12 inches in a foot, 3 foot in a yard, 5280 feet in a mile, how ever many pints in a
gallon, and so on. Therefore, it is preferable to use the metric and SI system.
Random fact: The United States actually was one of the original 17 countries to adopt the
metric system. Shortly after the American Civil War, Congress authorized the use of the
metric system in the Metric Act of 1866[3] and supplied each state with a set of standard
metric weights and measures. In 1875, the United States solidified its commitment to the
development of the internationally recognized metric system by becoming one of the original
seventeen signatory nations to the Metre Convention or the Treaty of the Metre.
I guess the problem was actually implementing it.

Note: There are differences between the metric system and the SI system (International
Systems of Units). Such as the measurement for temperature in the SI system is the Kelvin,
and the measurement for temperature in the metric system is the Celsius. However, they are
often interchangeable (at least when taking the difference) in problems, but not always.

Example: How many centimeters are in 76 meters?

Answer: 76 m

( 1001 mcm )=7600 cm

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

Example: How many inches are in 76 yards?

12
1 ft

Answer: 76 yd
3 ft

1 yd

( )

= 2,736 in.

The point of the last two examples was that it very much easier to do the conversion for
meter to centimeter in your head than it is yards to inches. The metric system is just an easier
system with less converting numbers.

What are the SI base units?

Also, a chart of the different levels of the scale. Please learn that 1 kilo = 1000.

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS AND CONVERSIONS:

What do I mean by dimensional analysis?

Dimensional analysis is essentially just keeping track of your units. It is important because
when you are multiplying, dividing, and adding many things together in problems with
equations then you need to make sure your problem comes out to the right dimensions. For
m
m
instance, the units of acceleration are s 2 . Well, if you end up with s than that means
you have a velocity, and not an acceleration. There could be two reasons for the error: not
keeping track of your units, or you forgot to divide by time a second time so that you have
2
the s .
It is especially important to keep track of the dimensions with converting. You dont want
your nurse to forget to confuse her units and accidently give you 2.5 liters of something
instead of 2.5 milliliters of it, do you? Putting 2.5 liters of anything in you might kill you
(who knows she may be new and very scared so casually remind her that is far too much
liquid to put into you).

When converting units, in general, you want to divide out the unit that you were originally in,
and make sure that it is replaced by the unit that you want it to be in. Such as:
Given unit x

Desired unit
=Desired unit
Given unit

If that leaves you confused than maybe this will better explain it.
Given unit Desired unit
x
1
Given unit
So when you multiply them together, you get:
(Given unit)( Desired unit)
(Given unit)
Well, just like two divided by 2 is equal to 1 ( 2/2 = 1 ), the given units cancel out to make
1, leaving you only with the desired unit.

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

PROBLEMS: (SAME ONES WE DID IN CLASS)

1. Convert 1.34 kg (kilograms) to g (grams)?
Remember that kilo means 1000, so that means that kilo grams is equal to one thousand
grams ( 1 kg = 1000 g ).
To start off, set up your problem as below:
1.34

kg

( )

Or

( 1.341 kg )( )
Now ask yourself where does my kilogram (kg) go? The top or the bottom? Well, we are
trying to get rid of it correct? So it goes in the bottom (the denominator) since the
original kg is on the top (in the numerator).
xxxx g
( 1.341 kg )( xxxx
kg )

You see where the grams went? It went in the top since it is replacing the kg.

So, what fills the xxxxs? Remember our conversion factor is 1 kg = 1000 g. That means
the 1000 always stays with the gram, and the 1 stays with the kg.

g
( 1.341 kg )( 1000
1 kg )

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

So, now we multiply:
1340 kg g
1 kg

Now, we divide out because kg/kg is just 1.

1340 g

2. Convert 240 km to miles. (Conversion factor: 1 mile = 1.609 km)

(I will not work this one out like the above because it is the same concept)
(240 km)

( xxxx
xxxx )

( 2401km )( xxxx
xxxx )
We want our km to be cancelled out so in the xxxx parentheses, our km should be in the
bottom.
1 mi
( 2401km )( 1.609
km )
= 149 mi
3. Convert 60 mph to kph (mi/h to km/h). (Conversion factor: 1 mile = 1.609 km)
km
( 60hmi )( 1.609
1 mi )
Multiply together:
96.54 mi km
1 mi h

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

The miles cancel out, and you are left with:
96.54

km
h

4. Convert 43 km/h to m/s.

So this one is a bit more tricky. You have to convert two different units that will not
cancel each other out. The best method for dealing with this is to convert one unit at a
time instead trying to do them both at the same time.
Lets start with the km to meter and then worry about the hour to second.

( 43hkm )( xxxx
xxxx )
Since I am wanting to convert my km to meter first, where does my km need to go in the
xxxx bracket? In the denominator so that it cancels out right?
xxxx
( 43hkm )( xxxx
km )
That means that my meter needs to go in the numerator (top). Which makes since
because I need my meter to replace my km, correct?
xxxx m
( 43hkm )( xxxx
km )
Dont forget that kilo means a thousand, thus my 1 km = 1000 m.
m
( 43hkm )( 1000
1 km )
Multiply them together.

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

43,000 km m
h km
My kilometer cancels out and I am left with meter per hour (m/h).
43,000 m
h
Or
43, 000

m
h

So now we have converted our kilometer to meter. But remember that we wanted it in
meter per second (m/s), so we must now replace the hour.
m xxxx
( 43,000
)( xxxx )
h
So, where does my hour in the xxxx bracket need to go? Remember it needs to cancel
43,000 m
43,000 m
the hour in the
.
The
hour
in
the
is on the bottom;
h
h

therefore, I need hour to be in the top of the xxxx bracket.

m xxxxh
( 43,000
)( xxxx )
h
That means my seconds must go in the bottom, and it makes sense because I want
43,000 m
seconds to replace my hour in the
.
h

m xxxxh
( 43,000
)( xxxx s )
h

Conversion factor: 1 h = 3600 s because there are 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds
in a minutes thus 60*60 = 3600.

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

m
1h
( 43,000
)( 3600
h
s)
Multiply out:
43000 m h
3600 h s
The hour on the top is divided by the hour in the bottom and you are left with m/s.
43000 m
3600 s
Now, divide 43000 by 3600 and your final answer is:
11.9

m
s

5. Convert 98

mi
h

(mph) to

s .

Conversion factor: 1 mile = 5280 ft and 1 ft = 12 in.

( 98hmi )( xxxx
xxxx )
Convert the miles to inches first.
xxxx
( 98hmi )( xxxx
mi )
xxxx ft
( 98hmi )( xxxx
mi )
ft
( 98hmi )( 5280
1 mi )

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

517440

mi ft
h mi

517440

ft
h

ft xxxx
( 517440
)( xxxx )
h
Still trying to get mile to inches. So far we have achieved getting mile to foot.
ft
xxxx
( 517440
)( xxxx
h
ft )

xxxx ft

517440 ft

xxxx

Conversion factor: 1 ft = 12 in

12
1 ft

517440 ft

ft
h ft
6,209,280
The foots cancel out and you end up with:
6,209,280
h
So we are in inch per hour but we wanted inch per second, so we must now eliminate the
hour.

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions

6,209,280
h

6,209,280
h

6,209,280
h

6,209,280
h

6,209,280 h
3600 h s
The hours divide out.
6,209,280
3600 s
So you have got your units correct now and are in in/s. Now finish the problem up by
dividing by 3600 and you get.
1724.8
s

Notes: Dimensional Analysis / Conversions