CHAPTER 4 Dimensional Analysis
SPEED CHALLENGE
OBJECTIVE:
To improve speed in solving problems using the principles of dimensional
analysis.
DIRECTIONS: Complete these questions using dimensional analysis principles in 20
minutes or fewer. Round the final answers to the nearest tenth unless otherwise
specified in the question. You may use a calculator.
1. A large hotel orders bars of soap to stock its rooms once per year. If the hotel
goes through an average of 625 bars of soap each week, how many bars of soap
should the hotel order per year? ________
2. A tea merchant sells tea for $15.99 per kilogram. If a customer orders 1/2 pound
of tea, how much will it cost the customer? (Hint: 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds).
Round to the nearest penny. ________
3. A cook uses 15 pounds of ground meat in each batch of spaghetti and
meatballs. If the cook makes 3 batches of spaghetti and meatballs each day, how
many pounds of meat does the cook use in 30 days? ________
4. A baker wants to buy a new oven, which costs $750. If each cupcake the baker
makes $1.50 profit, how many cupcakes must the baker sell to pay for the new
oven? ________
5. A freight truck must drive a load 1,450 miles. If the truck gets 9 miles to the
gallon and diesel fuel costs $4.25 per gallon, how much money will the truck
driver spend on fuel during the trip? ________
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS: Calculating Dosages Safely, 2nd Edition
Tracy Horntvedt, RN, MSN, BA
© 2019 F. A. Davis Company
CHAPTER 4, Speed Challenge cont’d.
6. A hiker has a canteen that holds 48 ounces of water. If the hiker drinks 4 ounces
of water every 3/4 of a mile, how many miles can the hiker walk before running
out of water? ________
7. A high school student wants to make $100 by selling merchant coupon books. If
the student makes 60 cents per coupon book sold, how many books will need to
be sold? Round to the nearest whole book. ________
8. A winemaker can make 12 bottles of wine with 66 pounds of grapes. If the
winemaker picks 540 pounds of grapes, how many bottles of wine can be made?
Round to the nearest whole bottle. ________
9. A bride is budgeting for her wedding cake. The cake she has wants has four
tiers. Each tier can be cut into 30 slices. If the baker charges $2.25 per slice, how
much will her cake cost? ________
10. A sunflower produces approximately 50 seeds per flower. If one ounce of
sunflower seeds contains an average of 72 seeds, how many flowers are needed
to produce 2 pounds of seeds? (Hint: There are 16 ounces in a pound.) Round to
the nearest whole flower. _________
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS: Calculating Dosages Safely, 2nd Edition
Tracy Horntvedt, RN, MSN, BA
© 2019 F. A. Davis Company