3 Unit Conversions
Section Information
Outcome/Competency: You will be able to convert measurements to different units.
Timing: 25h
Rationale: Why is it important for you to learn this skill?
It is an unfortunate truth that there are two systems of measurement in use: the Imperial (or U.S. customary) and the Systeme International (S.I. or Metric system.) You encounter the complication this causes every time you go to the grocery store and try to convert a price per kilogram to see if it matches a price per pound as advertised! On your job, inch/foot/yard/meter conversions likely be needed.
Objectives:
To be competent in this area, the individual must be able to:
- Convert measurements within the international system of units (S.I), within the imperial system, and across systems
Learning Goals
- Identify the best unit to measure a given object in both S.I. and Imperial units
- Solve mathematical and situational problems involving different units of measurement within and across a measurement system
Introduction:
In this module you will learn several ways to convert units of length within and between the imperial and metric (S.I.) systems.
Chapter Contents:
- Topic 1: S.I. and Imperial Units of Measure
- Topic 2: Converting Units using the Proportion Equation
- Topic 3: Converting Units using Unit Analysis
- Test: Outcome 3
Topic 1: S.I. and Imperial Units of Measure
There are two systems when it comes to measurement. In the United States, and in some cases unofficially in Canada, the Imperial or Standard system of measurement is used. In Canada and the rest of the world, the S.I. (Système International) or Metric system is used.
1.1 Units of Length
Here is a listing of common units of measure in the metric system and the imperial system listed in order from smallest to largest.
|
Metric |
Imperial |
|
Millimetre (mm) |
|
|
Centimetre (cm) |
|
|
|
Inch (in) |
|
Foot (ft) |
|
|
Yard (yd) |
|
|
Meter (m) |
|
|
Kilometer (km) |
|
|
|
Mile (mi) |
1.2 The Metric System
The metric system has a base unit for each type of measurement:
|
Base Unit |
Quantity |
|
Meter (m) |
Length |
|
Liter (L) |
Volume |
|
Gram (g) |
Mass |
|
Second (s) |
Time |
|
Degree Celsius (˚C) |
Temperature |
In order to make the unit larger or smaller it is multiplied or divided by factors of 10. Each multiple of 10 has a name. Here are some common multipliers and names:
|
Name |
Multiplier |
|
Mega (M) |
X 1,000,000 (one million) |
|
Kilo (k) |
X 1,000 (one thousand) |
|
Centi (c) |
X 0.01 (one hundredth) (or÷100) |
|
Milli (m) |
X 0.001 (one thousandth) or (÷1,000) |
Note: the word “metre” is spelled with the -re ending everywhere except the United States, where it is spelled with -er. A meter is something you plug change into for parking.
1.3 Metric System Unit Conversion
You cannot convert between base units. For example, metres cannot be converted to grams or seconds cannot be converted to degrees Celsius.
Within each base unit you can use the prefixes (multipliers) to create