(TG) Sept 28: Dimensional Analysis

Want to know what 50km/hour is in miles? Its the speed limit, so it would be pretty useful to know if you were ever in a sticky situation...

• This type of conversion is called Dimensional Analysis
• It is very similar to the process of converting currencies

4 Steps to Know:

1.    Find a unit equality
2.    Find the conversion factors
3.    Apply Conversion Factors 
4.    Cancel Units

EXAMPLES:

50 km/hour to miles/hour

50km/h x 1mile/1.6km

UNITS CANCEL: km's is crossed out in the equation

You now multiply the two fractions and get:

50/1.6 per hour

50/1.6 = 31.25

Final Answer: 50km/hour is = to 31.25mi/hour


A Helpful Picture to Illustrate the Process: