Lecture Slides
Professor Nick Spasic [Link]
n_spasic@[Link]
Chapter 1
Introduction to
Mechanical Engineering
Design
The McGraw-Hill Companies © 2012
MEASUREMENT
Unit Conversions
I
II
III
Are Units important?
3
Are Units important?
"The 'root cause' of the loss of the spacecraft was the
failed translation of English units into metric units in a
segment of ground-based, navigation-related mission
software, as NASA has previously announced," said
Arthur Stephenson, chairman of the Mars Climate Orbiter
Mission Failure Investigation Board. "The failure review
board has identified other significant factors that allowed
this error to be born, and then let it linger and propagate
to the point where it resulted in a major error in our
understanding of the spacecraft's path as it approached
Mars."
[Link]
4
International System of Units
(SI)
Fundamental
Dimensions: Derived Dimensions:
Length = m Force = N (newton) = kg*m/s2
Mass = kg Energy = J (joule) = N*m
Time = s Power = W (watt) = J/s
SI prefixes listed in table need to have prefixes with a
memorized for exams!!!
8
U. S. Customary System
(USCS)
Fundamental
Dimensions: Derived Dimensions:
Length = ft Mass = slug = lbf*s2/ft
= 32.174 lbm
Force = lbf
Energy = ft*lbf
Time = s
Power = ft*lbf/s
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A. SI Prefix Conversions
1. Find the difference between the exponents of the two
prefixes.
2. Move the decimal that many places.
To the left
or right?
A. SI Prefix Conversions
Prefix Symbol Factor
mega- M 106
kilo- k 103
BASE UNIT --- 100
move right
move left
deci- d 10-1
centi- c 10-2
milli- m 10-3
micro- µ 10-6
nano- n 10-9
pico- p 10-12
A. SI Prefix Conversions
1) 20 cm = 0.2
______________ m
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2) 0.032 L = ______________ mL
3) 45 µm = 45,000
______________ nm
0.0805
4) 805 dm = ______________ km
A. SI Prefix Conversions
532 m 0.532 km
= _______
NUMBER = NUMBER
UNIT
UNIT
B. Dimensional Analysis
The “Factor-Label” Method
◦ Units, or “labels” are canceled, or “factored” out
g
cm × 3
3
= g
cm
Converting units
Factor label method
• Regardless of conversion,
keeping track of units
makes things come out
right
• Must use conversion
factors
- The relationship
between two units
• Canceling out units is a
way of checking that your
calculation is set up right!
B. Dimensional Analysis
Steps:
1. Identify starting &
ending units.
2. Line up conversion
factors so units
cancel.
3. Multiply all top
numbers & divide by
each bottom number.
4. Check units & answer.
Common conversion factors
English Factor
1 gallon = 4 quarts 4 qt/gal or 1gal/4 qt
1 mile = 5280 feet 5280 ft/mile or 1 mile/5280 ft
1 ton = 2000 pounds 2000 lb/ton or 1 ton/2000 lb
Common English to Metric
1 liter = 1.057 quarts 1.057 qt/L or 1 L/1.057 qt
or 0.946 L/qt
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds 2.2 lb/kg or 1 kg/2.2 lb
or 0.454 kg/lb
1 meter = 1.094 yards 1.094 yd/m or 1m/1.094 yd
or 0.917m/yd
1 inch = 2.54 cm 2.54 cm/inch or 1 in/2.54 cm
B. Dimensional Analysis
Lining up conversion factors:
1 in = 2.54 cm
=1
2.54 cm 2.54 cm
1 in = 2.54 cm
1=
1 in 1 in
Line Mole Method
Process to convert from one unit to
another
Example: Convert 3.00 m to inch:
? = 3.00 m 100 cm 1 in
1m 2.54 cm
ANSWER = 118 in
5
Line Mole Method
Process to convert from one unit
to another
Example: Convert 3.00 m/s to m/hr:
? = 3.00 m 60 s 60 min
s min hr
ANSWER = 10,800 m/hr
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Example Metric conversion
How many milligrams are in a kilogram?
1kg = 1000 g
1g = 1000mg
1000 g 1000mg
1kg × × = 1,000,000mg
1kg g
B. Dimensional Analysis
How many milliliters are in 1.00 quart of milk?
qt mL
1.00 qt 1L 1000 mL
= 946 mL
1.057 qt 1L
×
B. Dimensional Analysis
You have 1.5 pounds of gold. Find its volume in cm3 if the
density of gold is 19.3 g/cm3.
lb cm3
1.5 lb 1 kg 1000 g 1 cm3
= 35 cm3
2.2 lb 1 kg 19.3 g
B. Dimensional Analysis
How many liters of water would fill a container that
measures 75.0 in3?
in3 L
75.0 in3 (2.54 cm)3 1L
= 1.23 L
(1 in)3 1000 cm3
B. Dimensional Analysis
5) Your European hairdresser wants to cut your hair 8.0 cm
shorter. How many inches will he be cutting off?
cm in
8.0 cm 1 in
= 3.1 in
2.54 cm
B. Dimensional Analysis
6) Taft football needs 550 cm for a 1st down. How many
yards is this?
cm yd
550 cm 1 in 1 ft 1 yd
= 6.0 yd
2.54 cm 12 in 3 ft
B. Dimensional Analysis
7) A piece of wire is 1.3 m long. How many 1.5 cm pieces
can be cut from this wire?
m pieces
1.3 m 100 cm 1 piece
= 86 pieces
1m 1.5 cm
As an Individual
(on a piece of paper)...
Use the Factor Label Method to convert
the following:
1) 34.6 m/s to mph
2) 15 ft3 to Liters
14
Units in Equations
Addition/Subtraction: All terms must
have the same units
Multiplication/Division: Units may
cancel, like variables
Homogeneity: Units on both sides of the
"=" sign must be the same
Transcendental Functions: (sin x , ln x ,
ex ) the argument (x) does not have a
dimension
7
Valid Units?
10 m 20 m 30 m 2
s s
12 mile 28 mile 40 mile
hour hour hour
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Converting Area and Volume
Caution: Make sure the units cancel
Area: 150 ft2 to yd2
150 ft2 1 yd 1 yd 150 ft2 (1)2 yd2
3 ft 3 ft OR (3)2 ft2
Volume: 12 ft3 to Liters
12 ft3 (12)3 in3 (2.54)3 cm3 (1)3 m3 1000 L
(1)3 ft3 (1)3 in3 (100)3 cm3 1 m3
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