Lecture Notes
Chapter 2
Unit Analysis as a Problem-Solving Tool
Based on: Exploring Quantitative Skills (Quantitative Reasoning-I)
Applications with rates, energy, and
Units and dimensional analysis Area, volume, and conversions
density
Prepared as complete study notes for lecture use, revision, and exam preparation.
Learning outcomes: After studying these notes, you should be able to identify units correctly, use dimensional
analysis in multi-step problems, compute area and volume with proper units, carry out customary and metric
conversions, interpret rates and densities, and avoid common unit-analysis mistakes.
Chapter outline
Units, unit analysis, and keywords such as per and of
Identifying units in products, quotients, areas, and volumes
Area and volume formulas with solved interpretations
U.S. customary system and metric-system conversions
Dimensions, metric prefixes, and standard measurement scales
Temperature, currency, energy, electricity, and density applications
Exam-focused methods, common mistakes, and revision practice
1. Units and unit analysis
Units are the words attached to numbers that tell what is being measured or counted, such as meters, kilograms,
liters, hours, dollars, or square feet. A numerical answer is incomplete unless the unit is correct.
Unit analysis, also called dimensional analysis, is the technique of using units to guide the arithmetic in a problem.
The central idea is simple: multiply and divide quantities so that unwanted units cancel and only the target unit
remains.
The chapter emphasizes two common keywords. The word per usually signals division, as in miles per hour,
dollars per kilogram, or deaths per 100,000 people. The word of often signals multiplication, as in 3.5 pounds of
bananas or cost of 30 acres of land.
Key rules for working with units
Keyword or form Operation Example meaning
50 miles per hour means 50 miles /
per Division
1 hour.
3.5 pounds of bananas at a price
of Multiplication per pound means weight × price
per pound.
1
square Second power Square feet means ft².
cubic / cube Third power Cubic centimeters means cm³.
Kilowatt-hour combines kilowatts
hyphen Often multiplication/linking
and hours as a product.
Fast method: Write the quantity you have, write the unit you want, and then insert conversion factors equal to 1
until all unwanted units cancel.
2. Fundamental patterns from the chapter
Distance from repeated laps: 7 laps of a 400 m track = 7 × 400 = 2800 m.
Number of containers needed: 2000 apples with 40 apples per crate gives 2000/40 = 50 crates.
Cost from a unit price: 3.5 lb of bananas at a price per pound means weight × rate.
Salary from a monthly rate: 6 months at $3200 per month gives 6 × 3200 = $19,200.
Buildings from capacity: 3000 people with 150 people per building gives 3000/150 = 20 buildings.
3. Identifying units correctly
When quantities are divided, the units also divide. Example: dollars divided by gallons gives dollars per gallon
($/gal).
When dimensions are multiplied, the units multiply. Example: acres multiplied by feet gives acre-feet, a
common volume unit in hydrology.
Area uses square units, while volume uses cubic units. This distinction is one of the most frequent exam traps.
Typical unit forms appearing in the chapter
Quantity Correct unit
Gasoline price dollars per gallon
Average walking speed miles per hour
Area of a circle cm²
River flow rate cubic feet per second
Production rate of a bakery bagels per hour
Density of a rock grams per cubic centimeter
4. Area and volume
Area measures the amount of two-dimensional surface enclosed by a shape. It is always expressed in square
units.
2
Volume measures the amount of three-dimensional space occupied by a solid or container. It is always expressed
in cubic units.
The chapter repeatedly links formulas to units: length × width gives square units, while area × height or length ×
width × height gives cubic units.
Core formulas used in the chapter
Shape / solid Formula Unit of result
Rectangle area A=l×w square units
Triangle area A = 1/2 × b × h square units
Circle area A = πr² square units
Trapezoid area A = 1/2 × (b1 + b2) × h square units
Cube volume V = s³ cubic units
Cylinder volume V = πr²h cubic units
Cone volume V = (1/3)πr²h cubic units
Sphere volume V = (4/3)πr³ cubic units
Representative results from the worked examples: a 6 m by 6 m square room needs 36 m² of carpet; a triangle
with base 12 cm and height 6 cm has area 36 cm²; a trapezoid with bases 14 ft and 6 ft and height 7 ft has area 70
ft²; and a box 6 in by 4 in by 10 in has volume 240 in³.
Important exam reminder: Volume cannot be measured in yd² or any other square unit. If the question asks for
volume, the final unit must be cubic.
5. Conversion systems
The chapter develops both the U.S. Customary System (USCS) and the International Metric System (SI). In both
systems, conversions are handled by multiplying by ratios equal to 1.
For raised units, the conversion factor must also be raised. For example, converting ft² to yd² requires squaring
the linear conversion, and converting ft³ to yd³ requires cubing it.
Common U.S. customary conversions
Quantity type Key equivalences
Length 1 ft = 12 in, 1 yd = 3 ft, 1 mi = 1760 yd = 5280 ft
Weight 1 lb = 16 oz, 1 ton = 2000 lb
3
Liquid volume 1 cup = 8 fl oz, 1 pint = 16 fl oz, 1 quart = 2 pints, 1
gallon = 4 quarts
Cubic units 1 ft³ = 1728 in³, 1 yd³ = 27 ft³
Common metric ideas
Prefix ladder for length, mass, and capacity: kilo- (10³), hecto- (10²), deca- (10¹), base unit, deci- (10⁻¹), centi-
(10⁻²), milli- (10⁻³).
Converting within the metric system is mainly a decimal-place shift: 4.08 m = 408 cm, 5.93 g = 5930 mg, 82 mL
= 0.082 L, and 9 kL = 9000 L.
Large and small prefixes also appear in dimensional work: micro = 10⁻⁶, nano = 10⁻⁹, mega = 10⁶, giga = 10⁹,
tera = 10¹².
Dimensional idea (MLtT form): the chapter also lists examples such as pressure, momentum, power, kinetic
energy, and modulus of elasticity to show how physical quantities combine base dimensions like mass, length, and
time.
6. Standard applications built from unit analysis
Temperature scales: The chapter uses Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin conversions. A key example is human body
temperature: 98.6°F = 37°C = 310.15 K.
Currency exchange: Exchange-rate problems convert one currency to another by multiplying with the relevant
dollars-per-foreign-unit or foreign-units-per-dollar rate.
Energy: One foot-pound is the energy needed to lift 1 pound through 1 foot. The chapter also connects British
thermal units (Btu) to foot-pounds.
Electricity: Energy bills are measured in kilowatt-hours. Cost is found by power × time, converted to kWh, then
multiplied by the charge per kWh.
Density and concentration: Density is mass per volume, such as g/cm³ or people/km². The chapter applies the
same logic to medication dosage, blood-alcohol content, and population density.
7. Problem-solving framework for exams
1. Identify the starting quantity and its unit.
2. Decide the target quantity and target unit.
3. Choose multiplication or division by checking whether the unit should cancel or remain.
4. Insert exact conversion factors equal to 1.
5. Cancel units before doing the arithmetic.
6. Check whether the final unit makes physical sense.
Common mistakes highlighted by the chapter: dividing when the context requires multiplication, confusing
square units with cubic units, forgetting to convert hours to seconds or gallons to liters, and writing a numerical
answer without a sensible unit.
8. Compact worked examples
Problem type Setup Result
4
Convert 2.5 h to seconds 2.5 × 60 × 60 9000 s
Convert 36 fl oz to cups 36 ÷ 8 4.5 cups
Average speed of Shaniko distance / time, then convert min about 36.9 mph
to h
Carpet a 20 ft × 30 ft room 600 ft² = 600/9 yd², then × $28.50 about $1900
Garden soil conversion 40 ft × 16 ft × 1 ft, then divide by about 24 yd³
27
Marathon distance 26.2 mi × 1.6093 km/mi about 42.2 km
75 W bulb for 12 h/day 0.075 kW × 12 h × rate daily electricity cost
9. Quick revision sheet
Unit analysis solves problems by making units cancel logically.
Per usually indicates division; of often indicates multiplication.
Area uses square units; volume uses cubic units.
When converting squared or cubed units, square or cube the entire conversion factor.
Temperature, currency, energy, density, dosage, and electric billing can all be handled with the same unit-
based strategy.
A correct numerical value with a wrong unit is still a wrong answer.
10. Practice questions
1. Find the total distance of 9 laps around a 400-meter track.
2. How many crates are needed for 360 apples if each crate holds 24 apples?
3. Convert 84 inches to feet and 2.5 hours to seconds.
4. A room is 15 ft by 12 ft. Find its area in square feet and square yards.
5. A tank contains 3/4 of 12 gallons. Can a car averaging 24 miles per gallon travel 100 miles?
6. Convert 37°C to Fahrenheit and Kelvin.
7. Find the density of a 54 g object occupying 6 cm³.
8. At 14¢ per kWh, what is the daily cost of a 100-watt bulb running for 10 hours?
11. Conclusion
Chapter 2 develops unit analysis as a flexible problem-solving method rather than a narrow chapter on conversion
only. Starting from basic units and keywords, it moves through area and volume, customary and metric systems,
physical dimensions, and then extends the same logic to temperature, exchange rates, energy use, density,
dosage, and many real-life rate problems. The unifying message is that correct reasoning with units helps prevent
errors and turns complex-looking applications into organized, solvable steps.
Source note: These lecture notes were prepared from Chapter 2 (Unit analysis as a problem-solving tool) of the
uploaded textbook. The visible chapter content spans unit analysis, area, volume, U.S. customary and metric
conversions, temperature, currency, energy, electricity, density, and numerous real-world applications.