Conversion of Units: Unit conversion is a multi-step process that involves identifying the starting and desired units, finding the appropriate conversion factors, and strategically using multiplication and cancellation to arrive at the final answer. The process includes the selection of the correct number of significant digits and rounding.
Different units are used to measure the different parameters like Length, Weight, Volume, Time, Temperature, etc.
What is Conversion of Units?
Conversion of units is the process of changing the way a quantity is measured from one unit to another. It's essentially finding the equivalent value of a measurement in a different unit system to achieve accuracy, consistency, and clear communication.
Why Do We Need To Convert Units?
Conversion of units is required when we intend to achieve accuracy and avoid confusion in measurements. It depends on the situation and the context that what will be the appropriate unit to describe a property you are measuring at a point of time.
For example, the area of a football field is expressed in meters, but the length of a pencil is expressed in centimetres. Similarly, the weight of a person is in kilograms while the weight of a vehicle is measured in tonnes more precisely.
Thus, to get a consistent and accurate measurement we need to convert one unit to another.
How to Convert Units in Maths and Physics?
Before understanding the concept of conversion of units, we need to understand the relationship between different units. The conversion of units is required to solve various mathematical and numerical problems to achieve accurate and consistent results. For example, if the length of one triangle is given in inches and the other in feet, and we are required to calculate the total area of the two triangles then we need to convert the units to make them uniform. Hence, it becomes essential for students to learn the concept of unit conversion.
Formulas for Conversion of Units
There isn't a single universal formula for unit conversion because it depends on the specific units you're converting between. However, the general process involves using conversion factors.
Conversion Factors: A conversion factor is a number used to change one set of units to another, by multiplying or dividing.
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Using Conversion Factors:
This method includes finding a fact that relates two different units.
For example, some of the common conversion factors are:
1 m = 100 cm
1 km=1000 m
1 minute=60 seconds
To convert units, we have to multiply the original value by conversion factor.
Formula: Original Value × (Conversion Factor)
Example: Convert 5 meters (m) to centimeters (cm).
Solution: We know, 1 m = 100 cm
5 m x 100 cm = 500 cm
Conversion of Units Tables
A table of unit conversion is a reference tool that lists equivalent values of measurements in different units. It provides a quick and easy way to convert between units. Here are tables of unit conversion for the commonly used properties like length, mass, temperature, time, etc.
Unit Conversions Table for Length
| 1 millimeter | 0.001 meter |
| 1 centimeter | 0.01 meter |
| 1 decimeter | 0.1 meter |
| 1 decameter | 10 meters |
| 1 hectometer | 100 meters |
| 1 kilometer | 1000 meters |
| 1 inch | 2.54 x 10-2 meters |
| 1 foot | 0.3048 meters |
| 12 inches | |
| 1 yard | 0.9144 meters |
| 3feet | |
| 1 mile | 1.609344 kilometers |
| 1760 yards | |
| 5280 feet | |
| 63,360 inches |
Unit Conversions Table for Area
| 1 sq. inch | 6.4516x10-4 sq. meters |
| 1 sq. foot | 9.2903x10-2 sq. meters |
| 1 acre | 4.0468x103 sq. meters |
| 1 hectare | 1x104 sq. meters |
| 1 sq. mile | 2.5888x106 sq. meters |
| 1 barn | 1x10-28 square meters |
Unit Conversions Table for Mass
| 1 milligram | 0.001 grams |
| 1 centigram | 0.01 grams |
| 1 decigram | 0.1 grams |
| 1 decagram | 10 grams |
| 1 ounce | 28.3495 grams |
| 1 hectagram | 100 grams |
| 1 kilogram | 1000 grams |
| 1 stone | 6350.29 grams |
| 1 pound | 453.592 grams |
| 0.453592kg | |
| 16 ounces | |
| 1 ton | 907.185kg |
| 2000 pounds | |
| 32,000 ounces |
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Unit Conversions Table for Volume
| 1 milliliter | 0.001 liter |
| 1 centiliter | 0.01 liter |
| 1 deciliter | 0.1 liter |
| 1 decaliter | 10 liters |
| 1 hectoliter | 100 liters |
| 1 kiloliter | 1000 liters |
| 1 cubic inch | 1.639x10-2 liters |
| 1 gallon | 3.785 liters |
| 1 cubic foot | 28.316 liters |
Unit Conversions Table for Time
| 1 minute | 60 seconds |
| 1 hour | 60 minutes |
| 3600 seconds | |
| 1 day | 24 hours |
| 1 week | 7 days |
| 1 year | 365 days |
Unit Conversions Table for Energy
| 1 BTU (British thermal unit) | 1055 Joule |
| 1 erg | 1×10−7 Joule |
| 1 calorie | 4.186 Joule |
| 1 kilowatt-hour | 3.6×106 Joule |
| 1 electron volt | 1.602×10−19 Joule |
| 1 liter atmosphere | 101.13 Joule |
Temperature Unit Conversions
| Celsius to Kelvin | K = C + 273.15 |
| Kelvin to Celcius | C = K - 273.15 |
| Fahrenheit to Celcius | C = (F-32) (5/9) |
| Celsius to Fahrenheit | F = C(9/5) + 32 |
| Fahrenheit to Kelvin | (F-32) (5/9) + 273.15 |
| Kelvin to Fahrenheit | F = (K-273.15) (9/5) + 32 |
Additional Tips for Converting Units
- Pay attention to prefixes like kilo- (1000x), centi- (1/100x), and milli- (1/1000x). These prefixes can help you with conversions within the same measurement system (e.g., kilometres to meters).
- Be sure to use the correct conversion factor for the direction you're converting in (e.g., meters to centimetres vs centimetres to meters).
The key to converting between units is to identify the appropriate conversion factor and set up your calculation to cancel out the unwanted units and get the desired result.
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