6 Exercises Of Conversion Factors For Changes Of Units

In so complicated to measure units by conversion. And the matter gets complicated, because you find yourself with inches, meters, yards, feet… Who can understand this?  When you trust yourself because you already know one measure by heart, they start talking about another. Voucher! Let them move your apartment for sure. It would be so easy if everyone used the same standard of measurement. But how can we all agree on our planet?

And what things do we measure? Most! What you can measure, we say has magnitude. And we are not referring to the same type of measurement. For example, you can measure the length or weight of an object. You also measure how fast something can move. If you apply some type of heat, you measure the temperature that it can reach or that can be applied to a matter. Even the strength that can be achieved is measured. And not to mention the weather (although its rapid pace terrifies us).

There are many situations that will require you to perform unit conversions. That is why at school they teach us the mathematical operations that we need to do them. And the teaching on this subject continues throughout our education. You’ll be asked to do conversions on a test and you might get screwed over it. But don’t get distracted, making unit conversions is fundamental in our daily lives.

When and where? In different contexts of the life of the human being, conversions must be made. Look at the construction of buildings and houses, the preparation of medicines and beauty products. For these tasks it is essential to measure the materials and substances. In distance calculations between two places, conversions are necessary to calculate travel time. The preparation of plans and maps necessarily require different units.

Even when we cook, our existence is complicated by measurements. The recipes tell you about tablespoons, cups, kilos, liters, milliliters, and stop counting. For example, if we do not have a weight, we must know how many cups of flour (or sugar) are half a kilo.  Or how many tablespoons are in a cup of butter. And not to mention the measures that the kitchen molds must have. To make a simple recipe, we must have at home all the necessary instruments to measure the ingredients.

You need to know conversion factors to make unit changes! If you don’t, you may be wrong about the magnitude you need to know. Keep reading and we’ll help you learn how to make that conversion and understand those changes. We will do exercises for you to acquire the skills you need. Then there will be no more trouble. The magnitude of the units will no longer be a mystery to you.

Instructions

Before reviewing some conversion exercises to make the unit changes, it is necessary to understand a few things:

• Although when we hear the word magnitude, we think only of the size of a body, it is much more than that. It is a physical property that can be measured. As we have already seen: size, distance, weight, temperature, etc. can be measured.
• And how do you measure? First you must have the object or phenomenon you want to measure. Then, you select the pattern that you will take as a unit. You compare the unit with the magnitude of that object or phenomenon. And so you will know the times that pattern is contained in the magnitude. For example, we can measure the temperature of our home ovens in degrees Celsius (also called Celsius) or Fahrenheit.
• You need to understand what a unit of measurement is . It is not an object, it is an arbitrarily set amount. It helps us to compare it with other amounts established in the same species. Let’s clarify, we cannot compare a unit of temperature with another unit of weight. Degrees Celsius have nothing to do with kilograms.
• This unit must possess three qualities. First of all, it should not be altered with time. Second, it must be able to be used anywhere in the world. And finally, it can be reproduced without any problem. Only then will they be included in the International System of Measurements or in the English System of Units.

Let’s dedicate ourselves now to learning how to make conversions for the change of units:

• When do you have to do these conversions? When the instructions to carry out a procedure provide us with the measurements from one unit and you use another. These procedures can be of a diverse nature, from the scientific to the daily.
• The first thing you have to know, to make the conversion you need, are the values ​​of the units involved. As a first example, imagine that you need to convert inches to centimeters (units of length). In that case, you should know that 1 inch is equal to 2.54 cms. To know the values ​​of the different units, you can use conversion tables.
• Already knowing which are the units involved and their values; Now for the conversion factor. This factor is simply a mathematical operation that allows the transformation of some units into others of the same magnitude.
• Let’s go back to the previous example. Do you need to convert inches to centimeters, or centimeters to inches?
• Now suppose you need to convert 7 inches to centimeters. You don’t know how easy it is. Multiply 7 (the inches you have) x 2.54 (the centimeters you want), which will give you 17.78. So, the 7″ inches are equivalent to 17.78 cms.
• Let’s do six exercises of conversion factors for the change of units. We will work with different magnitudes.

• Let’s do other examples with magnitudes of temperature. They will serve us when following a cooking recipe.

• Let us now turn to the magnitudes of time.

• Let’s do conversions with magnitudes of weight:

What do you need:

•  Know how to add and subtract ; and of course, multiply and divide.
•  Although some conversions require sophisticated formulas, others are the product of simple calculations.
•  Unit conversion tables. They are essential to perform all operations.
•  Know the conversion factors that each case requires.
•  If the issue is with inches or centimeters, don’t mess around, the tape measure is perfect for that job. The tape measure is also excellent for meters. The seamstresses measure with them all the time.
•  Study a little units of measurement . More information is never superfluous. And you can always learn something new.

Tips

• If you have a hard head for numbers, you can use a unit conversion program, like ConvUnid. Just look for the one you understand and handle best.
• In a pinch, you will find many pages on the Internet that will convert you quickly. You just have to consult them. No conversion escapes these pages.
• Units of measurement were created for a reason, don’t think it was to make your life more difficult. They exist because they are necessary.
• If you are taking an exam, don’t forget to identify the type of unit you work with, who then fail you.
• And in the kitchen, use measuring instruments. They are made exactly for that use. Not any cup is the exact measure. Then, that dessert that you like so much can be terrible on you. And remember, read the measurements of the cooking recipes well.
• Don’t lose your head with the measurements. They already have measurements to all those units of measurement.