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SI UNIT CONVERSIONS

I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold

Charles Demuth, 1928

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The Beauty of SI Units

All SI Units are based �on factors of 10.

​

kilo-

hecto-

deca-

base unit

deci-

centi-

milli-

÷10

÷ 100

÷ 1000

÷ 10000

÷ 100,000

÷ 1,000,000

big unit

small unit

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Stairstep Method of SI Unit Conversions

Kangaroos Have Dark Umbrellas During Cloudy Mornings

kilo-

k-

hecto-

h-

deca-

da-

unit

(none)

deci-

d-

centi-

c-

milli-

m-

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Stairstep Method of SI Unit Conversions

1450 cm ÷ 10 = 145 dm

145 dm ÷ 10 = 14.5 m

Notice that we jumped two units to the left on the stairs and moved the decimal two units to the left in the number

​

kilo-

k-

hecto-

h-

deca-

da-

unit

(none)

deci-

d-

centi-

c-

milli-

m-

÷10

÷10

Problem 1:

1450 cm = ? m

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Stairstep Method of SI Unit Conversions

0.00046 kg x 10 = 0.0046 hg

0.0046 hg x 10 = 0.046 dag

0.046 dag = 0.46 g

Notice that we jumped three units to the right on the stairs and moved the decimal three units to the right in the number

​

kilo-

k-

hecto-

h-

deca-

da-

unit

(none)

deci-

d-

centi-

c-

milli-

m-

x10

Problem 2:

0.00046 kg = ? g

x10

x10

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Stairstep Method of SI Unit Conversions

0.0019

190 cm

kilo-

k-

hecto-

h-

deca-

da-

unit

(none)

deci-

d-

centi-

c-

milli-

m-

1

Problem 3:

0.0019 km = ? cm

2

3

4

5

0

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Stairstep Method of SI Unit Conversions

7

0.0007 kg

kilo-

k-

hecto-

h-

deca-

da-

unit

(none)

deci-

d-

centi-

c-

milli-

m-

Problem 4:

7 dg = ? kg

0

0

0