UNIT CONVERSION OF BASE AND DERIVED QUANTITIES

BASE QUANTITY SYMBOL SI UNITS SYMBOL UNIT’S CONVERTION

Length l meter m 1 m = 1000 mm
1 m = 100 cm
1 cm = 10 mm
1 km = 1000 m

Mass m kilogram kg 1 g = 1000 mg

1 kg = 1000 g
1 tan = 1000 kg
Time t second s 1 min = 60 s
1 h = 60 min
1 h = 3600 s
Temperature T Kelvin or K or ºC 100 ºC = 212ºF
Celcius
0º C = 32ºF
0º C = 273.15 K
Electric Current I Ampere A 1 A = 1000 mA

EXAMPLES OF UNIT CONVERSION FOR BASE QUANTITIES

a) LENGTH

Example :
The distance of Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur is 474 km. Find the distance in the units of meter and
centimeter.

Solution:

Exercise 1
Convert the unit of 20 km into meter (m).
Exercise 2
Convert the unit of 5 cm into meter (m).

b) MASS

Example :
A bag of cement has a mass of 50 kg. Convert the unit to gram (g)

Solution:
1 kg = 1000 g or (103 g)

Exercise 1
Convert the unit of 1234 g into kilogram (kg).

Exercise 2
Convert the unit of 12 kg into gram (g).

c) TIME

Example :
Convert the unit of 8 hours into minute

Solution:
Exercise 1
Convert the unit of 250 seconds into hour.

Exercise 2
Convert the unit of 250 minutes into hour.

1.3.2 EXAMPLES OF UNIT CONVERSION FOR DERIVED QUANTITIES

a) AREA

Example :
The floor area of a science laboratory is 40 m2. Find the area in cm2 and mm2

Solution:
1 m = 102 cm or (100 cm)
1 m2 = (102 cm)2 = 104 cm2

1 cm = 10 mm
1 cm2 = (10 mm)2 = 102 mm2
Exercise 1
Convert the unit of 25 cm2 into square meter (m2).

Exercise 2
Convert the unit of 1400 mm2 into square meter (m2).

b) VOLUME

Example :
A steel water tank could be filled with 25 m3 of water. What is its volume in centimeter cube?

Solution:
1 m = 102 cm (100 cm),
1 m3 = (102 cm)3 = 106 cm3 or 1 m3= 100 cm x 100 cm x 100 cm = 106 cm3

Exercise 1
Convert the unit of 0.2 m3 into milimeter cube (mm3).
Exercise 2
Convert the unit of 330 mm3 into centimeter cube (cm3).

c) VELOCITY

Example :
A van was driven at a speed of 90 km/h along a straight road. Convert the unit to m/s?

Solution:
1 km = 1000 m, 1 h = 3600 s

Exercise 1:
The speed of light in vacuum is 3 x 108 ms-1. What is its value in km/h?

Exercise 2:
An aeroplane flies at a constant speed of 700 km/h. Determine its speed in m/min.

Exercise 3:
A cheetah can run at a speed of 130 km/h. Find its speed in ms-1.
d) ACCELERATION

Example :
A car increases its velocity at a rate of 28.8 km/min2. Determine its acceleration in m/s2.

Solution:

Exercise 1:
The surface gravitational acceleration of a moon is 1.62 ms-2. Convert its unit to cm/min2

Exercise 2:
Along a straight road, a car tries to overtake a lorry by accelerating at a rate of 4 ms-2. Determine the
acceleration in km/h2