Name: Date: __________________________
Student Exploration: Unit Conversions
Vocabulary: base unit, cancel, conversion factor, dimensional
... [Show More] analysis, metric system, prefix, scientific notation
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Sara lives in Toronto, Canada, while her cousin Michael lives in Detroit, Michigan. They like to compare how fast they are growing up.
1. Sara tells Michael she is 160 centimeters tall, while Michael says he is 60 inches tall. If there are 2.54 centimeters in an inch, who is taller? Sara is taller than Michael.
2. Michael tells Sara he weighs 104 pounds. Sara says she is 44 kilograms. If there are 2.2 pounds in a kilogram, who is heavier? Michael is heavier.
Gizmo Warm-up
As you could see from the questions above, there are different ways to measure the same quantity. Every measurement includes both a number and a unit.
There are many, many different units you can use to measure the same attribute, such as height, weight, or volume. The Unit Conversions Gizmo™ shows you how you can convert from one unit to another in order to compare measurements.
1. To begin, check that this question is shown: The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is 0.83 kilometers high. What is the building’s height in centimeters? (If this is not the question you see, click Next until it appears.)
A. What unit is given in the question? Kilometers
B. What unit is asked for? Centimeters
2. Look for the Unit Conversion Tile that has the unit “meter” on top and “kilometer” on the bottom. This tile shows a conversion factor, or a ratio that compares two equivalent values.
A. According to this tile, how many meters are in a kilometer? 1000 meters.
B. Look at the tile next to it. How man centimeters are in a meter? 100 centimeters
Get the Gizmo ready:
• Check that the question is still about Burj Khalifa.
Goal: Use dimensional analysis to solve conversion problems.
1. Observe: In the question, you are asked to convert kilometers to centimeters. To do this, first you will convert kilometers to meters. Drag the 1000 meters/1 kilometer tile down.
A. What do you notice? The decimal is carried over to the right 3 times and the denomi- nators are crossed out.
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