Chapter 1 (Part 1) Introduction To Engineering Calculations
Chapter 1 (Part 1) Introduction To Engineering Calculations
CHAPTER 1
Basic Concepts
Topic Outcomes
At the end of Chapter 1, you should:
Convert one set of units in a function or
equation into another equivalent set for
mass, length, area, volume, time, energy and
force using conversion factor tables.
Identify the units commonly used to express
both mass and weight.
Identify the number of significant figures in a
given value and state the precision with
which the value is known.
Units and
Dimensions
Conversion of
Units
Systems of
Units
Units
Added
Example: 2.05kg
Units
+3.56kg (yes)
Subtracted
Example: 5m 3m
(yes)
7hr 2min (no)
Multiplied
Divided
Example : 4m
12 m2
x 3m =
Conversion of Units
To convert a quantity expressed in terms of one unit to
equivalent in terms of another unit, multiply the given
quantity by the conversion factor.
Conversion factor
1g
1000 mg
0.036 g
Conversion
factor
Dimensional Equation
Convert 1 cm/s2 to km/yr2
1. Write the given quantity and units on left.
2. Write the units of conversion factors that cancel the old unit and
replace them with the desired unit.
1 cm
s2
h2
day2
km
s2
h2
day2
yr2
cm
36002 s2
s2
12 h2
km
100 x 1000
yr2
12 yr2
=
1m
1 km
100 cm
1000 m
Systems of Units
8
Base Units
Base Units
Quantity
Length
SI
Symbol
American
Symbol
CGS
Symbol
meter
foot
ft
centimeter
cm
lbm
gram
Mass
kilogram
kg
pound
mass
Moles
grammole
mole
pound mole
lbmole
gram-mole
mole
Time
second
second
second
Temperature
Kelvin
Rankine
Kelvin
Multiple Units
10
Seconds
12
centi (c) = 10
-2
giga (G) = 10
milli (m) = 10
-3
mega (M) = 10
micro () = 10
-6
nano (n) = 10
-9
kilo (k) = 10
12
Derivatives SI Units
Derived SI Units
Quantity
Unit
Volume
Liter
Force
Newton
(SI)
Dyne
(CGS)
1 kg.m/s2
1 g.cm/s2
Pressure
Pascal
Pa
1 N/m2
Energy/
Work
Joule
Calorie
J
cal
1 N.m = 1 kg.m2/s2
4.184 J =4.184 kg.m2/s2
Power
Watt
1 J/s = 1 kg.m2/s3
Systems of Units
3 systems of unit:
a) SI system
b) American engineering system
c) CGS system
EXERCISE
mi
mile
1
m
1 hr
m
1 1
0.447
hr
hr 0.0006214 mile 3600 s
s
14
EXERCISE
Convert 23 Ibm.ft/min
kg.cm/s2
Mass
1 kg = 1000 g = 0.001
metric tonne
= 2.20462 Ibm =
35.2739 oz
1 Ibm = 16 oz = 5 x 10-4 ton
= 453.593 g =
0.453593 kg
to its equivalent
Length
1 m = 100 cm = 1000 mm
=106 microns = 1010
angstrom
= 39.37 in = 3.2808 ft
= 1.0936 yd =
0.0006214 mile
1 ft = 12 in = 1/3 yd =
0.3048 m
= 30.48
cm2
100 cm
12 min
kg.cm
Ibm. ft
Ibm. ft 0.453593 kg
23
23
2 2
2
2
min
min
1 Ibm
3.2808 ft 60 s
15
0.088
s2
16
1 Newton (N)
=
1 kg.m/s2
1 dyne
=
1 g.cm/s2
1 Ibf
= 32.174 Ibm.ft/s2
Weight of an object is force exerted on the object by
gravitational attraction of the earth i.e. force of gravity, g.
Value of gravitational acceleration:
g
= 9.8066 m/s2 = 980.66 cm/s2
= 32.174 ft/s2
gc
1 kg.m/s2
1N
= 32.174 lbm.ft/s2
1 lbf
lbm
M 62.4 3 2 ft 3 124.8lbm
ft
lbm
W 62.4 3 2 ft 3 32.174 ft / s 2
ft
Conversion factor
1lb f
2
32.174lbm ft / s
124.8lb f
Dimensions
SI
Unit
Dimension
Kilogra
m
Meter
Temperature
Time
Mass
Length
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22
EXAMPLE
Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients:
20 ml of cooking oil
100 gram of minced meat
15 cm spaghetti sticks
Value
Unit
Dimension
20
milliliter
LENGTH
[L]
100
gram
MASS
[M]
15
centimete
r
LENGTH
[L]
23
Dimensional Homogeneity
Quantities can be added/subtracted if ONLY their units
are same.
Unit same, the DIMENSION of each term must be the
same.
Eg. : VELOCITY = LENGTH / TIME
(L) / (T)
(L) / (T)
(m/s)
(m/s)
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25
Examples:
F = ma
Unit:
Dimension:
(M)(L) =(M) x (L)
( T )2
( T )2
(M)(L) =(M)(L)
( T )2
( T )2
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LEFT
= RIGHT
DIMENSIONALLY
HOMOGENEOUS
(CONSISTENT )
Dimensional Analysis
This is a very important tool to check your work
Eg. : Doing a problem you get the answer distance
d = v t2 (velocity x time2)
Units on left side = ( L )
Units on right side = ( L )/( T ) x ( T )2 = ( L ) .( T )
27
d = units of length ( L )
g = units of ( L / T 2).
(a)
P 2 dg
(b)
P 2
(c
d
g
28
P 2
d
g
2 dg
2
L L
L 2 4 T
T T
Not
Right !!
(b) P 2
d
g
L
T2 T
L
T2
Not
Right !!
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(c) P 2
d
g
L
T2 T
L
T2
Correct units!!
If an equation is dimensionally
homogeneous but its additive terms have
inconsistent unit, the terms may be made
consistent by applying conversion factors
Example:
V (m/s) = Vo (m/s) + g (m/s2) t
(min)
Apply the conversion factor
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31
Dimensionless Quantities
Can be a pure number
Eg. : 2, 1.3 ,5/2
a multiplicative combination of variables with no net
dimensions
Eg. :
ud
Re
= (g/cm3) , u = (cm/s),
d = (cm), = (g/cm.s)
32
DIMENSIONLESS