Name: ___________________________ Yr.

& Section: _________________

__________

Date:

Physics and Measurement

Conversions
1 hour = 3600 seconds
1 meter = 3.28 feet
1 kg = 2.2 lbs

1 mile = 5280 feet

1 km = 0.62 miles
1 lb = 0.45 kg

A. Convert the following quantities.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

17 yrs into min

43 Dg to ng
165 lbs into kg
130 mi/hr to m/s
721 lbs/wk into kg/s
12080 m3 to in3
2500 Pa to kPa
755 Tm to m

1 yard = 3 feet
1 Dg = 10 grams
1 quart = 0.946 liters

1 g = 1 x 10-9 nanogram
1 foot = 12 inches
1 inch = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm

B. Calculate the following. Give the answer in correct scientific

notation.
a) 7.58 x 103 3.005 x 10-2
b) 6.022 x 1023 / 3.011 x 10-56
c) 3.888 x 106 + 5.55 x 102
d) (4.50 x 10-12)(3.67 x 10-12)
e) (6.88 x 102)(3.45 x 10-10)

C. Study each question in column A, then match the subdivision of physics in column B that can help answer
each questions. Write the letters before the number.
A
B
1 Why can firewalkers walk barefoot on red-hot wooden coals but
a. Mechanics
not on red hot pieces of iron?
2 Which produces more pressure on the ground, a person standing or
b. Heat and Thermodynamics
the same person lying down?
3 Sun tanning produces cell damage in the skin. Why is ultraviolet
c. Wave Physics
light capable of producing this damage while infrared radiation is
not?
4 In a dress shop that has only fluorescent lighting, a customer insists
d. Electromagnetism
on taking a garment into the daylight at the doorway. Is this
reasonable?
5 Why does your hair stand out when a rubbed plastic sheet is placed
e. Nuclear Physics
above your head?
6 How are typhoons and cyclones formed?
f. Biophyics
7 Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is a diagnostic tool that is
g. Low-Temperature Physics
routinely used to assess the electrical and muscular functions of the
heart. How is the ECG tracings interpreted?
8 The generation of temperatures well below those of normal human
h. Geophysics
experience is now made possible. What will happen to the tissues if
this is applied to living humans?
9 X-ray protective wear and accessories are supplied to the medical,
i. Plasma Physics
dental and veterinary industries. How does this things work?
10 Gases in discharge tubes, lightning, auroras, comet tails and the
j. Particle Physics
ionosphere are composed of gases that are ionized thus turning it
into a state of matter that contains charged particles. How can such
a state be achieved?
k. Health Physics
l. Quantum Physics
D. Derive the formula for m/1 using the following solution.

E. Determine if the following equations are

a) F = mv2/r

dimensionally correct or not.

a) x = vt + 1/2gt2

d) D = m/V

b) F = Gm1m2/d2

b) t = 2x/a

c) T = 2m 2x/a

c) v3 = 2ax2

Name: ___________________________

Period 2 3 4 6

Date: __________

Scientific Notation/Significant Digits Worksheet 1

1. Convert each of the following into scientific notation.

3427
b) 0.00456
c) 123,453
d) 172
e) 0.000984
f) 0.502
g) 3100.0 10 2
h) 0.0114 10 4
i) 107.2
a)

3.427 103
4.56 103
1.23453 105
1.72 102
9.84 104
5.02 101
3.1000 105
1.14 102
1.072 102

0.0000455 4.55 105

k) 2205.2
2.2052 103
l) 30.0 10 2 3.00 10 1
m) 0.982 10 3
9.82 104
n) 0.0473
4.73 102
o) 650,502
6.50502 105
p) 3.03 10 1 3.03 10 1
q) 20.4 105
2.04 106
r) 1000 10 3
1.000
j)

2. Determine the number of significant figures in each of the following:

3427
b) 0.00456
c) 123,453

d) 172

0.000984
f) 0.502

a)

e)

3100.0 102

0.0114 104
i) 107.2
j) 0.0000455 3
k) 2205.2

g)

h)

l)

0.982 103
n) 0.0473
o) 650,502
m)

p)
5

30.0 102 3

15,600

e)

3
6

3.03 101 3

q) 20.4 105

r) 1000 10 3

3. Convert each into decimal form.

a) 1.56 10 4

0.00259 105

259

b)

0.56 102

0.0056

f) 13.69 10 2

0.1369

c)

3.69 102

0.0369

g)

6.9 104

69,000

d)

736.9 105

73,690,000

4. Calculate the following. Give the answer in correct scientific notation.

a)

3.95 102
4
6 = 2.6 10
1.5 10

b)

4.44 107
2
5 = 1.97 10
2.25 10

1.05 1026
c)
4.2 1056

= 2.5 1083

d)

6.022 1023
3.011 1056

e)

(3.5 102 )(6.45 1010 ) = 2.2 1013

f)

(4.50 1012 )(3.67 10 12 )

g)

(2.5 109 )(6.45 104 ) = 1.6 1014

h)

(6.88 102 )(3.45 10 10 )

= 2.000 1079

= 1.65 1023

= 2.37 107

5. Round each of the following to 3 significant figures.

a)

77.0653
b) 6,300,278.2

77.1
6,300,000

0.00023350
d) 10.2030

0.000234
10.2

c)

e)

2.895 1021

2.90 1021

6. Calculate the answer, use the correct number of significant figures.

a)

(0.32)(14.50)(120) =

5.6 102

b)

(24.1) /(0.005) =

5 103

c)

(3.9)(6.05)(420) =

9.9 103

d)

(14.1) / 5 =

Show all of your work. No calculators allowed.

ESTIMATION WORKSHEET
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

(18.8)(120.4)
62.11

(1.3112)(647)(12)
(119)(0.22)

(244.05 + 23.33)(78)
(5.444)(1011)

482 + 712 =
29.2 2 + 38.9987 2 =

(2443)(124003)(78906)
(33)(1.0788)

2.3324 + 1003 + 63.22 + 0.0787 =

(12)(14)(3.33)(904)(8.5)(1000)
(30405)

(5280)(6.443)(0.017)(0.33)
(0.101)(0.998)(100,000)

10. You are driving in your car for 2 hours and 40 minutes at a rate of 67 mph. About how far did you go?

Estimate: ____________
11. It costs 1.72 cents per gallon of water. Your shower uses 2.1 gallons per minute and you showered for 7.5 minutes
today. How much did the water cost for your shower?

Estimate: ____________
12. You blink approximately 22 times per minute. About how many time do you blink in 8 hours?

Estimate: ____________
13. During the average eye blink, your eyes are closed for of a second. About how many minutes are your eyes closed
purely from blinking in a 5 day work week of 8 hour days?

Estimate: ____________

Estimation warm-up
1. The Moon is 250,000 miles from Earth. You ride your bike at 15 mph. Estimate how many days it would take
to get to the Moon.

2.

A rocket leaves Earth at a speed of 17,500 mph. It is in orbit 300 miles above the earth. Estimate how long it
takes to get into orbit.

3.

The same rocket is now traveling to the Moon. Estimate how long that trip is in days.

4.

At its closest, Mars is 35,000,000 miles from earth. Estimate how long it will take for the same rocket to reach
Mars.

5.

The average lifespan of an American is 77.9 years. Estimate how many seconds the average person is alive.

6.

The distance from New York to London is 3471 miles. The Boeing 777 has a cruising speed of 555 miles per
hour. Estimate the time it takes to travel from NY to London.

7.

Estimate:

(26.8)(1.15)(712)(2911)
=
(43.33)(505)(14.754)
Unit Conversion/Dimensional Analysis Warm-up

1 inch = 2.54 cm = 25.4 mm

1. How many cm long is a 100 yard football field?
2. A fish tank is 20 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches. What is its volume in mm3?

3. The speed of light is

3 108 meters/second. What is the speed of light in miles/year?

Scientific Notation Problems

No Calculators for Problems 1-5

1.

2.

(6 106 )(2 103 )(2 10 3 )

(4 104 )
(4 106 )(2 103 )
(8 10 4 )(2 10 4 )

3.

4.

5.

(5 106 )(2 103 )(3 103 )

(5 104 )
(7 106 )(2 103 )(5 103 )
(2 104 )
(4 106 )(5 10 3 )
(8 104 )(5 103 )

6. What is the ratio of Milky Way radius to our solar system radius given that, the distance from pluto to sun is
5.910 12 meters and the Milky Way disk radius is. 3.91020 meters. Round the coefficient to the nearest tenth.
7. The speed of light is 3 x 10 8 meters/second. If the sun is 1.5x 1011 meters from earth, how many seconds does
it take light to reach the earth. Express your answer in scientific notation.
8. Using the following data:
the volume of a sphere = (4/3) (pi)R 3
6
Radius of the earth= 6.310 m.
Mass of earth= 5.9742 10 24 kilograms
Find the density of the earth in kg/m 3 (Note: this method will only yield an approximate value for the density of
the earth).
9. Given that the average density of water is 1000 kg/m3, what would be the average density of the earth (closest
tenth) in gm/cm3?
Introductory Material Quiz

1. Rewrite the following expression in proper scientific notation. (10 points)

(14088)(18.775)(10110)(7.76)
4

(0.000443)(301 10 )(88.0)

= _________________________________________________

2. Estimate the answer to the above expression. Show all of your work on paper. (10 points)

3. Solve the above expression using your calculator. Round your answer to the appropriate number of significant digits.
(10 points)

Answer ______________________________

4. Convert 26.4 years into seconds. Show all of your work. (10 points)

5. Convert 55 miles per hour into meters per second. Show all of your work. (10 points)

Introductory Material Quiz

1. Rewrite the following expression in proper scientific notation. (10 points)

(1.4088 104 )(1.8775 101 )(1.0110 104 )(7.76)

=
4
(0.000443)(301 10 )(88.0)
(4.43 104 )(3.01 106 )(8.8 101 )

(14088)(18.775)(10110)(7.76)

2. Estimate the answer to the above expression. Show all of your work on paper. (10 points)

(1.4088 104 )(1.8775 101 )(1.0110 104 )(7.76) (1 104 )(2 101 )(1 104 )(8)
=
(4.43 104 )(3.01 106 )(8.8 101 )
(4 104 )(3 106 )(9 101 )
(8)(2)(109 )
4
=
=
106 = .1 106 = 1 105
3
(4)(3)(9)(10 ) 27
3. Solve the above expression using your calculator. Round your answer to the appropriate number of significant digits.
(10 points)

Answer

1.77 105

4. Convert 26.4 years into seconds. Show all of your work. (10 points)

26.4 years 365 days 24 hours 3600 sec

= 8.3 108 sec

1
1 year
1 day
1 hour

5. Convert 55 miles per hour into meters per second. Show all of your work. (10 points)

55 miles 5280 ft
1m
1 hour

= 24.6 m s
1 hour
1 mile 3.28 ft 3600 sec

A 20 km long, 8 m wide, two-lane highway is to be paved with a 4 cm thick layer of asphalt. A fleet of three dumptrucks
is to be employed, each with an empty mass of 20 metric tons and a carrying capacity of 20 m3. Asphalt with a density of
0.72 g/cm3 will be used. Determine
a.

the total volume of asphalt needed

b.

the number of dumptruck loads required

c.
d.

the gross mass of each truck

Determine which of the following expressions are dimensionally consistent.
2

a.

v = 2ax

b.

x = vt + at

c.

tan =

v
x

Special Note: For each of the following problems let a [m/s2], v [m/s], and x [m].

1.

Determine the SI unit of each of the following quantities.

v2
at2
x
2
a.
ax
b.
2
c.
a

2.

Determine which of the following expressions are dimensionally consistent.

a.

v = xt

b.

x = vt

c.

t = vx

d.

x = at + at2

e.

x = vt + at3

f.

v2 = 2ax2

g.
j.
3.

x=

h.

x
y

k.

tan =

t=

2x
a

i.

y
x

l.

tan =

t=

v2
ax

tan =

v
at

Determine the SI units of the constants C1 and C2 so that the following expressions are dimensionally correct.
a. x = C1 + C2t
b. x = C1t + C2t2
c. v = C1t + C2t2
d.

4.

2a
t

x = C1 sin (2C2t)

e.

v = C1eC2t

In the formula below the symbol U is measured in kgm2/s2 and x stands for length. What are the units of k?
U = kx2

5.

In the formula below the symbol T is measured in seconds and l stands for length. What are the units of g?

T = 2
g

6.

Derive the unit for the quantity P given the following equations
x
v
v=
a=
F = ma
W = Fx
t
t

7.
8.

9.

with the following units

x in meters [m]

t in seconds [s]

W
t
m in kilograms [kg]

Derive the unit for the quantity g given the following equations
F = kx
U = kx2
with the following units
F in newtons [kg m/s2]

P=

x, h in meters [m]

U = mgh

m in kilograms [kg]

Name: ____________________________

Period 2 3 4 6

Date: _____________