Units and

Dimensional
Analysis

Whatever You Measure,You Have

To Use Units!!!!!!!!
If someone asked you how much you weighed
you would not answer 100....
Your correct would be 100

pounds

In Science We Use the International

System of Units or SI

All physical quantities can be expressed in terms of

seven base units
Base Quantity

History

Name

Symbol

length

meter

mass

kilogram

kg

time

second

electric current

ampere

temperature

kelvin

amount of
substance
electric
potential

mole

mol

candela

cd

Derived Units
Other quantities, called derived units, are
defined in terms of the seven base units.
Some examples.
Derived Quantity

Name

In terms of SI

area

square meter

m2

volume

cubic meter

m3

velocity

meter per second

m/sec

acceleration

meter per second

squared
kilogram per
cubic meter

m/sec2

density

kg/m3

Often We must Convert Between Different

Units
The Best And Easiest way to do this is to use

Dimensional Analysis

Reasons for not using Dimensional Analysis

1. Lets say youre super-intelligent and enjoy solving
relatively simple problems in the most complex manner.
2. Lets say you are tired of always getting the correct
answers.
3. Lets say youre an arty type and you cant be confined
by structure. You like messy solutions scribbled all over
the page in every direction. Its not that you want to
make a mistake. But you really dont care that much
about the answer. You just like the abstract design
created by the free-wheeling solutionand the freedom
from being confined by structure.

Otherwise,

You Need Dimensional Analysis!

"I was a Wilton High School student who dozed off

while Mr. Laptick taught us dimensional analysis in
physical science. I never quite got the hang of it. It
irritated me... all of those fractions. I never really
liked fractions. Although my grades had been pretty
high, I got a D in physical science and subsequently
dropped out of chemistry in the first quarter of my
junior year. It was not long before I started on drugs,
and then crime to support my drug habit. I have
recently learned dimensional analysis and realize how
simply it could have solved all of my problems. Alas, it
is too late. I won't get out of prison until 2010 and
even then, my self image is permanently damaged. I
attribute all of my problems to my unwillingness to learn
dimensional analysis." Jane

"I thought I knew everything and that sports was the only thing
that mattered in high school. When Mr. Hoogenboom taught our
class dimensional analysis, I didn't care about it at all. I was
making plans for the weekend with my girlfriend who loved me
because I was a running back and not because of physical
science. While other kids were home solving dimensional analysis
problems, I was practicing making end sweeps. Then one day I
was hit hard. Splat. My knee was gone. I was despondent. My
girl friend deserted me. My parents, who used to brag about my
football stats, started getting on my case about grades. I
decided to throw myself into my school work. But I couldn't
understand anything. I would get wrong answers all of the time.
I now realize that my failure in school came from never having
learned dimensional analysis. Alas, I thought everyone else was
smarter. After the constant humiliation of failing I finally gave
up. I am worthless. I have no friends, no skills, no interests. I
have now learned dimensional analysis, but it is too late." Bill

The following testimonial was recently supplied by Jim

Mycyk. I see no reason to doubt the validity of this
testimonial, however I should add that I have no direct
knowledge whatever of Mario.
I was at home, sick with the flu when Mr. Mycyk taught
my class about Dimensional Analysis. Despite
opportunities given to me to make up the assignments
that I had missed, I chose to not do them. I thought
that my mathematical abilities were already sufficient.
How wrong I was! Its been five years since I took that
class--Now I spend my afternoons panhandling at traffic
lights, hoping for passersby to give me spare change.
If I m lucky enough to scam a buck after a days work,
Im still not sure if my hourly rate makes cents.

--Mario
http://www.chemistrycoach.com/use.htm

So What Is This Magical Method?

Suppose I would like to convert 6 inches into
centimeters
First I need to look up the conversion factor
2.54 centimeters= 1 inch
Second, we write our conversion factor as a
fraction2.54 cm or 1 inch
1 inch

2.54 cm

Because 1 inch is the same thing as 2.54

centimeters, those fractions are just like 5/5 or
1+4 /2+3 ; its equal to.1
The idea of this method is we can multiply
anything by one and not change it!!!!!!!
Lets try it..
6 inches=? centimeters
6 inches x 2.54 cm
1 inch
Units are like #s .they cancel

6 inches x 2.54 cm
1 inch
You are left with centimeters
Just do the math and you are finished.
6 x 2.54=15.24 centimeters
What if you used the wrong form of the
fraction? Nothing would cancel
6 inches x 1 inch
2.54 cm

The units would come out

as inch2/cm and you would
know that you are wrong

To help you remember

1. If the unit to be converted is in the
numerator the same unit must be in the
denominator for it to cancel out
2. If the unit to be converted is in the
denominator the same unit must be in the
numerator for it to cancel out

Lets try something more difficult

50 miles/hr= ? meters /second
You need 2 conversion factors1 meter= 6.21 X10-4 miles
1 hour=3600 seconds
50 miles x
1

hour

1 meter
6.21x 10-4 miles

1 hour
3600 second

You are left with meters/second..thats

what you are looking for
Now solve.

50x1x1_______ =
1 x( 6.21 x 10-4) x 3600

22.36 meter
second

What if I used the wrong form of the

fraction?
50 miles x 6.21 x 10-4 miles x
1 hour
1 meter

1 hour
3600 second

My units would end up miles2/meter sec !!!

I would know immediately that I set it up wrong!!

Lets do another one

What is the density of mercury(13.6 g/cm3) in
units of kg/m3 ?
I need 2 conversion factors
1 kg = 1000 g
1 meter = 100 cm
13.6 g x 1 kg x 100cm x 100cm x 100cm x
cm3
1000 g 1 m
1m
1m
cm2
cm
You are left with kg/m3and that is what you
want now just do the math

The beauty of this method is,

that you know if the units
dont come out right.you set
it up wrong!!!!!

Calculate the cost of gasoline for a 420 mile trip if

your car averages 20 miles/gal of gas, and the gas
costs $1.98 / gallon.
Harolds car has a fuel efficiency of 35 miles/gallon.
Kumars car has a fuel efficiency of 12 kilometers per
liter. Who gets better gas mileage?
French cooks usually weigh ingredients. A French
recipe uses 225 grams of granulated sugar. How many
cups are needed if there are 2 cups of sugar per
pound?