Lesson 1: Units and Conversions

Question 1

What are the SI units for length or distance in all physics equations?

Answer 1

Meters (m)

Question 2

What are the SI units for time in all physics equations?

Answer 2

Seconds (s)

Question 3

What are the SI units for mass in all physics equations?

Answer 3

Kilograms (kg)

Question 4

How many centimeters are in a meter?

Answer 4

There are 100 centimeters (cm) in a meter (m).

Question 5

How many grams are in a kilogram?

Answer 5

There are 1,000 grams (g) in a kilogram (kg).

Question 6

How many micrograms (ug) are there in a gram?

Answer 6

There are 10^6 micrograms (ug) in a gram (g).

Question 7

How many micrograms (ug) are there in a kilogram (kg)?

Answer 7

There are 10^9 micrograms (ug) in a kilogram (kg).

Question 8

How many nanoseconds (ns) are there in a second (s)?

Answer 8

There are 10^9 nanoseconds (ns) in a second (s).

Question 9

How many milliseconds (ms) are there in a second (s)?

Answer 9

There are 10^3 milliseconds (ms) in a second (s).

Question 10

How many meters (m) are there in a kilometer (km)?

Answer 10

There are 1,000 meters (m) in a kilometer (km).

Question 11

You are given a temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (degrees F). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 11

No, you need to convert it to degrees Celsius (degrees C). Kelvin (K) is also fine as long as the equation calls for a change in temperature.

Question 12

You are given a temperature in Kelvin (K). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 12

Kelvin (K) is fine as long as the equation calls for a change in temperature.

Question 13

You are given a distance in feet (ft). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 13

No, you need to convert feet (ft) to meters (m).

Question 14

You are given a distance in miles (mi). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 14

No, you need to convert miles (mi) to meters (m).

Question 15

You are given a length in centimeters (cm). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 15

No, you need to convert centimeters (cm) to meters (m).

Question 16

You are given a length in kilometers (km). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 16

No, you need to convert kilometers (km) to meters (m).

Question 17

You are given a length in meters (m). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 17

Yes, meters (m) are the correct units for distance or length.

Question 18

You are given time in minutes (min). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 18

No, you need to convert minutes (min) to seconds (s).

Question 19

You are given time in hours (hr). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 19

No, you need to convert hours (hr) to seconds (s).

Question 20

You are given time in days. Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 20

No, you need to convert days to seconds (s).

Question 21

You are given velocity in miles per hour (mph). Is this the correct unit? If not, what units should it be in?

Answer 21

No, you need to convert miles per hour (mph) to meters per second (m/s).

Question 22

In a problem, you read 10 miles. Is this is a displacement, velocity, or acceleration?

Answer 22

Displacement, which has units of length (convert to meters).

Question 23

In a problem, you read 30 mph. Is this a displacement, velocity, or acceleration?

Answer 23

Velocity, which needs to be converted to m/s (meters per second).

Question 24

In a problem, you read 14 m/s. Is this a displacement, velocity, or acceleration?

Answer 24

Velocity, in the correct units (m/s, meters per second).

Question 25

In a problem, you read 3.5 m/s^2. Is this a displacement, velocity, or acceleration?

Answer 25

Acceleration, in the correct units of m/s^2 (meters per second squared).

Question 26

You are given an area in terms of square feet (ft^2). Are these the correct units? If not, how do you convert to the correct units?

Answer 26

You need to be in units of square meters (m^2).

Convert ft^2 to m^2:

(x ft^2) * (1 m / 3.28 ft)^2

Question 27

You are given a volume in terms of cubic feet (ft^3). Are these the correct units? If not, how do you convert to the correct units?

Answer 27

You need to be in units of cubic meters (m^3).

Convert ft^3 to m^3:

(x ft^3) * (1 m / 3.28 ft)^3