Name: Ashita Puri Date: Feb.3/2021
Student Exploration: Unit Conversions
.
Vocabulary: base unit, cancel, conversion factor, dimensional analysis, metric system, prefix, scientific
notation
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Sara lives in Toronto, Canada, while her cousin Michael lives in Detroit, Michigan. They like to compare how
fast they are growing up.
1. Sara tells Michael she is 160 centimeters tall, while Michael says he is 60 inches tall.
If there are 2.54 centimeters in an inch, who is taller? sara is taller(63 inches)
2. Michael tells Sara he weighs 104 pounds. Sara says she is 44 kilograms.
If there are 2.2 pounds in a kilogram, who is heavier? Micheal is heavier(47.3 kg)
Gizmo Warm-up
As you could see from the questions above, there are different ways
to measure the same quantity. Every measurement includes both a
number and a unit. There are many, many different units you can use
to measure the same attribute, such as height, weight, or volume. The
Unit Conversions Gizmo shows you how you can convert from one
unit to another in order to compare measurements.
1. To begin, check that this question is shown: The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is
0.828 kilometers high. What is the building’s height in centimeters? (If this is not the question you see, click
Next until it appears.)
A. What unit is given in the question? Kilometers
B. What unit is asked for? Centimeters
2. Look for the Unit Conversion Tile that has the unit “meter” on top and “kilometer” on the bottom. This tile
shows a conversion factor, or a ratio that compares two equivalent values.
A. According to this tile, how many meters are in a kilometer? 1000
B. Look at the tile next to it. How many centimeters are in a meter? 100
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
, Activity A:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Dimensional ● Check that the question is still about Burj Khalifa.
analysis
Goal: Use dimensional analysis to solve conversion problems.
1. Observe: In the question, you are asked to convert kilometers to centimeters. To do this,
first you will convert kilometers to meters. Drag the 1000 meters/1 kilometer tile down.
A. What do you notice? the kilometers cancel out
B. Because kilometers appear in the numerator of one term and in the denominator of
another, they cancel, or disappear. The process of converting units by canceling is
called dimensional analysis.
How many meters are in 0.828 kilometers? 828 meters
C. A meter is a much shorter unit of measurement than a kilometer.
D. Based on this fact, does your answer to B make sense? Yes, because 1000m
are needed to make
1 km
2. Identify: Now find a tile that converts meters to centimeters. Drag it down next to the first.
A. What units cancel now? kilometers and meters
B. What is the unit in the answer? centimeters
C. How many centimeters tall is the Burj Khalifa? 82,800 cm
D. Click Submit. Is this answer correct? yes.
3. Find: Click Next
What conversion tile can you use to solve this problem? 1000 micrometers / 1
millimeter
4. Analyze: Drag this tile to the green strip. Turn on Show results.
A. What units are given to the right of the equals sign? 121,000 micrometers2 /
millimeters
B. Why didn’t the units cancel in this case? The micrometers stayed in
the numerator.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
Student Exploration: Unit Conversions
.
Vocabulary: base unit, cancel, conversion factor, dimensional analysis, metric system, prefix, scientific
notation
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
Sara lives in Toronto, Canada, while her cousin Michael lives in Detroit, Michigan. They like to compare how
fast they are growing up.
1. Sara tells Michael she is 160 centimeters tall, while Michael says he is 60 inches tall.
If there are 2.54 centimeters in an inch, who is taller? sara is taller(63 inches)
2. Michael tells Sara he weighs 104 pounds. Sara says she is 44 kilograms.
If there are 2.2 pounds in a kilogram, who is heavier? Micheal is heavier(47.3 kg)
Gizmo Warm-up
As you could see from the questions above, there are different ways
to measure the same quantity. Every measurement includes both a
number and a unit. There are many, many different units you can use
to measure the same attribute, such as height, weight, or volume. The
Unit Conversions Gizmo shows you how you can convert from one
unit to another in order to compare measurements.
1. To begin, check that this question is shown: The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is
0.828 kilometers high. What is the building’s height in centimeters? (If this is not the question you see, click
Next until it appears.)
A. What unit is given in the question? Kilometers
B. What unit is asked for? Centimeters
2. Look for the Unit Conversion Tile that has the unit “meter” on top and “kilometer” on the bottom. This tile
shows a conversion factor, or a ratio that compares two equivalent values.
A. According to this tile, how many meters are in a kilometer? 1000
B. Look at the tile next to it. How many centimeters are in a meter? 100
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
, Activity A:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Dimensional ● Check that the question is still about Burj Khalifa.
analysis
Goal: Use dimensional analysis to solve conversion problems.
1. Observe: In the question, you are asked to convert kilometers to centimeters. To do this,
first you will convert kilometers to meters. Drag the 1000 meters/1 kilometer tile down.
A. What do you notice? the kilometers cancel out
B. Because kilometers appear in the numerator of one term and in the denominator of
another, they cancel, or disappear. The process of converting units by canceling is
called dimensional analysis.
How many meters are in 0.828 kilometers? 828 meters
C. A meter is a much shorter unit of measurement than a kilometer.
D. Based on this fact, does your answer to B make sense? Yes, because 1000m
are needed to make
1 km
2. Identify: Now find a tile that converts meters to centimeters. Drag it down next to the first.
A. What units cancel now? kilometers and meters
B. What is the unit in the answer? centimeters
C. How many centimeters tall is the Burj Khalifa? 82,800 cm
D. Click Submit. Is this answer correct? yes.
3. Find: Click Next
What conversion tile can you use to solve this problem? 1000 micrometers / 1
millimeter
4. Analyze: Drag this tile to the green strip. Turn on Show results.
A. What units are given to the right of the equals sign? 121,000 micrometers2 /
millimeters
B. Why didn’t the units cancel in this case? The micrometers stayed in
the numerator.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
