Name: ___________________________
Per: ________
Unit 0
Introduction to Measurement
Students MUST be able to
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Define the measured quantities of mass, length, area, perimeter, volume, time,
temperature, and energy.
Choose the appropriate units for each measurement.
Memorize the metric prefixes, their symbols, and their corresponding meanings.
Use dimensional analysis to covert between units.
Perform conversions within the metric system using memorized conversion
factors and between English and metric units using provided conversion factors.
Write numbers in scientific notation.
Convert numbers from scientific notation to standard notation.
Category
Definition
Measurement Tool
Units
Mass
Length
Height
Width
Area
Volume
Time
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Temperature
Energy
Units in Everyday Life: We use units every day, often without even realizing it. In the
statements that follow, you will find a wide variety of interesting facts, but each is
missing a crucial piece of information – the dimensions (units)! All the statements are
meaningless until you supply the appropriate units. On the basis of your experiences, try
to match the appropriate units for the list provided.
Carats
Cm
degrees Celsius
degrees Fahrenheit
feet
grams/mL
inches
yard
kcal (Cal)
liters
miles
miles per hour
milligrams
pounds
stories
tons
kilometers
kilograms
Example problems:
1) America’s tallest building (Sears Tower in Chicago) is 110 __________high.
2) The Empire State Building in New York is 1250 _______________high.
3) The Nile is the world’s longest river. It is 4180 ______________long.
4) The Amazon River in South America is 6296 _______________long.
5) The coldest temperature ever recorded was -128.6 ___________ in Vostok,
Antarctica, in 1983.
6) The highest recorded temperature in the United States was in Death Valley,
California, when the mercury reached 57____________.
7) The world record rainfall occurred in Cherrapunji, India, where 1042 ____________
of rain fell in one year.
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8) The largest recorded hailstone to ever fall landed in Coffeyville, Kansas, in 1979. It
had a diameter of 44.5 ________!
9) The longest punt in NFL history was by Steve O’Neal of the New York Jets. He
kicked the football 98 ____________.
10) The largest seed in the world is that of the coc-de-mer coconut tree, which may weigh
as much as 40 _____________!
11) The world’s largest meteorite is located in Southwest Africa. It weighs 650
_________.
12) The most popular soft drink in the world is currently Coca Cola. More than 210
million ____________were consumed each day in 1990.
13) The largest diamond in the world was mined from South Africa in 1905 and weighs
3106 ____________.
14) Earth is the densest of the nine planets, with an average density of 5.515
___________.
15) The world’s fastest aircraft is the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, clocking a record speed
of 2,193.67 ________________.
16) The largest gold nugget ever found has a mass of 100 _____________!
17) One large chicken egg contains an average of 274 _____________ of cholesterol.
18) A 16-year old male requires an average of 2800 ____________ of energy per day
while and average 16-year old female requires only 2100 ______________.
Concluding Questions/Main Points:
1) Why is it essential that appropriate units accompany all measurements?
2) Why is it essential that the world have a universal form of measurement?
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Prefix
Symbol
Power
of 10
106
Metric Prefixes and Powers
Meaning
Decimal Notation
Example
(mass)
103
102
101
100
10-1
10-2
10-3
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Name: _____________________________
Per. __________
Conversion Practice
Perform the following unit conversions using the dimensional analysis method used in class and the
conversions above. USE YOUR OWN PAPER!
1) 11.7 mm to m
2) 0.9 cg to g
3) 44 yards to m
4) 4.53 kg to g
5) 9,350 gallons to pints
6) 3450 mmHg to atm
7) 76 mL to L
8) 0.450 mm to cm
9) 0.089 kg to mg
10) 150.0 lbs to kg
11) 12,850 ft to miles
Two steps required!!
12) 48,987 min to days
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13) 18 in to mm
14) 6.0 gal to mL
15) 56,098 sec to days
16) 3.2 tons to grams
Scientific Notation Practice
Standard Notation
8,700,000
Scientific Notation
3.4 x 10-3
0.00098
93
8.556 x 10-8
9.0 x 10-2
5800
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