Unit Conversions: Today we begin the topic of translating from any unit of measure to another.
Multiplication by Fancy Ones
Recall: $1 \mbox{ L} = 33.8 \mbox{ fl oz}$.
This means that both
$$\frac{1 \mbox{ L}}{ 33.8 \mbox{ fl oz}}=1 \,\,\,\,\,\,\mbox{ and }\,\,\,\,\,\, \frac{33.8 \mbox{ fl oz}}{ 1 \mbox{ L}}=1$$
Multiplication by Fancy Ones
Do you agree witht the following?
$$ 2.5 \mbox{ L}=2.5 \mbox{ L}\cdot 1$$
Multiplication by Fancy Ones
If the answer to the above question is "yes," then you should by okay with what follows.
$$ 2.5 \mbox{ L}=2.5 \mbox{ L}\cdot 1=2.5 \mbox{ L}\cdot \frac{33.8 \mbox{ fl oz}}{ 1 \mbox{ L}}=2.5 \cdot 33.8 \mbox{ fl oz} = 84.5 \mbox { fl oz}$$
Fact: Unit conversions are just multiplication by fancy ones.
The Bridge Method (Part 1)
1) Write down the quantity you want to convert.
2) Multiply by a fancy one with the unit you want to convert on the bottom so that the unit you want is left on top.
Example: Convert 34 ounces to pounds.
The Bridge Method (Part 2)
1) Write down the quantity you want to convert.
2) Multiply this quantity by a series of fancy ones whose bottom unit cancels the previous top unit until the last
fancy one has the unit you want left on top.
Example: How many cups are in 2 liters?
Unit Conversion Sheet: all the unit conversions you will need for this course can be found
here.
Example: How many liters are in 26 fluid ounces?
Example: How many pounds of sugar are in a 15 kilogram bag of sugar?
Example: If a recipe calls for 728 grams of chocolate, how many ounces of chocolate do you need to use?
Example: Convert 24 tablespoons to pints.