Is a System of Physical Units. Mechanical CGS Units Dimension

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Is a System of Physical Units. Mechanical CGS Units Dimension The centimeter-gram-second system (CGS) is a system of physical units. Mechanical CGS units Dimension Unit Definition SI length centimeter 1 cm 10−2 m mass gram 1 g 10−3 kg time second 1 s 1 s force dyne 1 dyn = 1 g·cm/s² 10−5 N energy erg 1 erg = 1 g·cm²/s² 10−7 J power erg per second 1 erg/s = 1 g·cm²/s³ 10−7 W pressure barye 1 Ba = 1 dyn/cm² = 10−1 Pa 1 g/(cm·s²) While for most units the difference between cgs and SI are just powers of 10, the differ- ences in electromagnetic units are more involved. In SI, electric current is defined via the magnetic force it exerts and charge is then defined as current multiplied with time. In the cgs system, electrostatic units (esu), charge is defined via the force it exerts on other charges, and current is then defined as charge per time. One consequence of this ap- proach is that Coulomb’s law does not contain a constant of proportionality. What this means specifically is that in cgs electrostatic units, the unit of charge or statcoulomb, is de- fined as such a quantity of charge that the Coulomb force constant is set to 1. That is, for two point charges, each with 1 statcoulomb spaced apart by 1 centimeter, the electrostatic force between them will be, by definition, precisely one dyne. This also has the effect of eliminating a separate dimension or fundamental unit for electric charge. In cgs electro- static units, a statcoulomb is the same as a centimeter times square root of dyne. Dimen- sionally in the cgs esu system, charge Q is equivalent to M1/2L3/2T-1 and not an independ- ent dimension of physical quantity. Therefore: electrostatic unit of charge 1 esu = √(g·cm³/s²) = 3.33564 × 10−10 C and Coulomb’s law is just: 2 F = q1 q2 / r ASTRONOMICAL CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS SI VALUE CGS VALUE 30 33 Mass of sun (Mu) 1.989x10 kg 1.989x10 g 8 10 Radius of sun (Ru) 6.959x10 m 6.959x10 cm 26 33 -1 Luminosity of sun (Lu) 3.826x10 W 3.826x10 erg s 24 27 Mass of earth (Mr) 5.976x10 kg 5.976x10 g 6 8 Equatorial Radius of earth (Rr) 6.378x10 m 6.378x10 cm Astronomical unit (au) 1.496x1011 m 1.496x1013 cm Parsec (pc) 3.086x1016 m 3.086x1018 cm Tropical year 3.156x107 s 3.156x107 s PLANETARY DATA Planet Semi-Major Axis Sidereal Period Orbital M/M R/R ¾ ¾ (au) (tropical yrs) Eccentricity Mercury .3871 .24085 .2056 0.0558 0.382 Venus .7233 .61521 .0068 0.8150 0.949 Earth 1.000 1.000039 .0167 1.0000 1.000 Mars 1.5237 1.88089 .0934 0.1074 0.532 Jupiter 5.2028 11.8622 .0483 317.893 11.27 Saturn 9.538 29.4577 .0560 94.147 9.44 Uranus 19.191 84.013 .0461 14.54 4.10 Neptune 30.061 164.793 .0097 17.23 3.88 Pluto 39.529 248.54 .2482 .0022 0.180 SOLAR DATA Apparent bolometric magnitude, mbol: -26.82 Apparent visual magnitude, mV (or V): -26.74 Absolute bolometric magnitude, Mbol: + 4.75 B - V colour index: + 0.65 Spectral Type and Luminosity Class: G2 V Effective Temperature (Teff): 5770 °K MISCELLANEOUS Hubble's Constant: 75 km s-1 Mpc-1 ASTRONOMY DATA SHEET UNITS Physical Quantity SI Unit CGS Value Mass 1 kg 103 g Length 1 m 102 cm Time 1 s 1 s Energy 1 joule (J) 107 erg Power 1 watt (W) 107 erg s-1 Force 1 newton (N) 105 dyne Velocity 1 m s-1 102 cm s-1 Pressure 1 pascal (Pa) 10 dyn cm-2 Density 1 kg m-3 10-3 g cm-3 Electric Charge 1 Coulomb (C) 2.998x109 esu Magnetic flux density 1 Tesla (T) 104 gauss PHYSICAL CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS SI Value CGS Value Speed of light, c: 2.998x108 m s-1 2.998x1010 cm s-1 Gravitational constant, G: 6.670x10-11 N m2 kg-2 6.670x10-8 dyn cm2 g-2 Planck constant, h: 6.626x10-34 J s 6.626x10-27 erg s Boltzmann constant, k: 1.381x10-23 J K-1 1.381x10-16 erg K-1 Electric charge, e: 1.602x10-19 C 4.803x10-10 esu Stefan Boltzmann constant, F: 5.669x10-8 W m-2 K-4 5.669x10-5 erg cm-2 K-4 s-1 Radiation density constant, a: 7.565x10-16 J m-3 K-4 7.565x10-15 erg cm-3 K-4 Mass of electron 9.1096x10-31 kg 9.1096x10-28 g Mass of proton 1.6726x10-27 kg 1.6726x10-24 g Mass of neutron 1.6749x10-27 kg 1.6749x10-24 g Mass of hydrogen atom 1.6735x10-27 kg 1.6735x10-24 g Mass of helium atom 6.6464x10-27 kg 6.6464x10-24 g 1 amu 1.66053x10-27 kg 1.66053x10-24 g 1 ev 1.602x10-19 J 1.602x10-12 erg 1 A 10-10 m 10-8 cm Wien's law constant 2.898x10-3 m K 0.2898 cm K .
Recommended publications
  • Summer 2018 Astron 9 Week 2 FINAL
    ORDER OF MAGNITUDE PHYSICS RICHARD ANANTUA, JEFFREY FUNG AND JING LUAN WEEK 2: FUNDAMENTAL INTERACTIONS, NUCLEAR AND ATOMIC PHYSICS REVIEW OF BASICS • Units • Systems include SI and cgs • Dimensional analysis must confirm units on both sides of an equation match • BUCKINGHAM’S PI THEOREM - For a physical equation involving N variables, if there are R independent dimensions, then there are N-R independent dimensionless groups, denoted Π", …, Π%&'. UNITS REVIEW – BASE UNITS • Physical quantities may be expressed using several choices of units • Unit systems express physical quantities in terms of base units or combinations thereof Quantity SI (mks) Gaussian (cgs) Imperial Length Meter (m) Centimeter (cm) Foot (ft) Mass Kilogram (kg) Gram (g) Pound (lb) Time Second (s) Second (s) Second (s) Temperature Kelvin (K) Kelvin (K)* Farenheit (ºF) Luminous intensity Candela (cd) Candela (cd)* Amount Mole (mol) Mole (mol)* Current Ampere (A) * Sometimes not considered a base cgs unit REVIEW – DERIVED UNITS • Units may be derived from others Quantity SI cgs Momentum kg m s-1 g cm s-1 Force Newton N=kg m s-2 dyne dyn=g cm s-2 Energy Joule J=kg m2 s-2 erg=g cm2 s-2 Power Watt J=kg m2 s-3 erg/s=g cm2 s-3 Pressure Pascal Pa=kg m-1 s-2 barye Ba=g cm-1 s-2 • Some unit systems differ in which units are considered fundamental Electrostatic Units SI (mks) Gaussian cgs Charge A s (cm3 g s-2)1/2 Current A (cm3 g s-4)1/2 REVIEW – UNITS • The cgs system for electrostatics is based on the assumptions kE=1, kM =2kE/c2 • EXERCISE: Given the Gaussian cgs unit of force is g cm s-2, what is the electrostatic unit of charge? # 2 ! = ⟹ # = ! & 2 )/+ = g cm/ s1+ )/+ [&]2 REVIEW – BUCKINGHAM’S PI THEOREM • BUCKINGHAM’S PI THEOREM - For a physical equation involving N variables, if there are R independent dimensions, then there are N-R independent dimensionless groups, denoted Π", …, Π%&'.
    [Show full text]
  • On the First Electromagnetic Measurement of the Velocity of Light by Wilhelm Weber and Rudolf Kohlrausch
    Andre Koch Torres Assis On the First Electromagnetic Measurement of the Velocity of Light by Wilhelm Weber and Rudolf Kohlrausch Abstract The electrostatic, electrodynamic and electromagnetic systems of units utilized during last century by Ampère, Gauss, Weber, Maxwell and all the others are analyzed. It is shown how the constant c was introduced in physics by Weber's force of 1846. It is shown that it has the unit of velocity and is the ratio of the electromagnetic and electrostatic units of charge. Weber and Kohlrausch's experiment of 1855 to determine c is quoted, emphasizing that they were the first to measure this quantity and obtained the same value as that of light velocity in vacuum. It is shown how Kirchhoff in 1857 and Weber (1857-64) independently of one another obtained the fact that an electromagnetic signal propagates at light velocity along a thin wire of negligible resistivity. They obtained the telegraphy equation utilizing Weber’s action at a distance force. This was accomplished before the development of Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory of light and before Heaviside’s work. 1. Introduction In this work the introduction of the constant c in electromagnetism by Wilhelm Weber in 1846 is analyzed. It is the ratio of electromagnetic and electrostatic units of charge, one of the most fundamental constants of nature. The meaning of this constant is discussed, the first measurement performed by Weber and Kohlrausch in 1855, and the derivation of the telegraphy equation by Kirchhoff and Weber in 1857. Initially the basic systems of units utilized during last century for describing electromagnetic quantities is presented, along with a short review of Weber’s electrodynamics.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI)
    Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) m kg s cd SI mol K A NIST Special Publication 811 2008 Edition Ambler Thompson and Barry N. Taylor NIST Special Publication 811 2008 Edition Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) Ambler Thompson Technology Services and Barry N. Taylor Physics Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899 (Supersedes NIST Special Publication 811, 1995 Edition, April 1995) March 2008 U.S. Department of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary National Institute of Standards and Technology James M. Turner, Acting Director National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 811, 2008 Edition (Supersedes NIST Special Publication 811, April 1995 Edition) Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Spec. Publ. 811, 2008 Ed., 85 pages (March 2008; 2nd printing November 2008) CODEN: NSPUE3 Note on 2nd printing: This 2nd printing dated November 2008 of NIST SP811 corrects a number of minor typographical errors present in the 1st printing dated March 2008. Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI) Preface The International System of Units, universally abbreviated SI (from the French Le Système International d’Unités), is the modern metric system of measurement. Long the dominant measurement system used in science, the SI is becoming the dominant measurement system used in international commerce. The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of August 1988 [Public Law (PL) 100-418] changed the name of the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and gave to NIST the added task of helping U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Measuring in Metric Units BEFORE Now WHY? You Used Metric Units
    Measuring in Metric Units BEFORE Now WHY? You used metric units. You’ll measure and estimate So you can estimate the mass using metric units. of a bike, as in Ex. 20. Themetric system is a decimal system of measurement. The metric Word Watch system has units for length, mass, and capacity. metric system, p. 80 Length Themeter (m) is the basic unit of length in the metric system. length: meter, millimeter, centimeter, kilometer, Three other metric units of length are themillimeter (mm) , p. 80 centimeter (cm) , andkilometer (km) . mass: gram, milligram, kilogram, p. 81 You can use the following benchmarks to estimate length. capacity: liter, milliliter, kiloliter, p. 82 1 millimeter 1 centimeter 1 meter thickness of width of a large height of the a dime paper clip back of a chair 1 kilometer combined length of 9 football fields EXAMPLE 1 Using Metric Units of Length Estimate the length of the bandage by imagining paper clips laid next to it. Then measure the bandage with a metric ruler to check your estimate. 1 Estimate using paper clips. About 5 large paper clips fit next to the bandage, so it is about 5 centimeters long. ch O at ut! W 2 Measure using a ruler. A typical metric ruler allows you to measure Each centimeter is divided only to the nearest tenth of into tenths, so the bandage cm 12345 a centimeter. is 4.8 centimeters long. 80 Chapter 2 Decimal Operations Mass Mass is the amount of matter that an object has. The gram (g) is the basic metric unit of mass.
    [Show full text]
  • Mercury Barometers and Manometers
    NBS MONOGRAPH 8 Mercuiy Barometers and Manometers U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS Functions and Activities The functions of the National Bureau of Standards are set forth in the Act of Congress, March 3, 1901, as amended by Congress in Public Law 619, 1950. These include the development and maintenance of the national standards of measurement and the provision of means and methods for making measurements consistent with these standards; the determination of physical constants and properties of materials; the development of methods and instruments for testing materials, devices, and structures; advisory services to government agencies on scientific and technical problems; in- vention and development of devices to serve special needs of the Government; and the development of standard practices, codes, and specifications. The work includes basic and applied research, development, engineering, instrumentation, testing, evaluation, calibration services, and various consultation and information services. Research projects are also performed for other government agencies when the work relates to and supplements the basic program of the Bureau or when the Bureau's unique competence is required. The scope of activities is suggested by the listing of divisions and sections on the inside of the back cover. Publications The results of the Bureau's work take the form of either actual equipment and devices or pub- lished papers. These papers appear either in the Bureau's own series of publications or in the journals of professional and scientific societies. The Bureau itself publishes three periodicals available from the Government Printing Office: The Journal of Research, published in four separate sections, presents complete scientific and technical papers; the Technical News Bulletin presents summary and pre- liminary reports on work in progress; and Basic Radio Propagation Predictions provides data for determining the best frequencies to use for radio communications throughout the world.
    [Show full text]
  • S.I. and Cgs Units
    Some Notes on SI vs. cgs Units by Jason Harlow Last updated Feb. 8, 2011 by Jason Harlow. Introduction Within “The Metric System”, there are actually two separate self-consistent systems. One is the Systme International or SI system, which uses Metres, Kilograms and Seconds for length, mass and time. For this reason it is sometimes called the MKS system. The other system uses centimetres, grams and seconds for length, mass and time. It is most often called the cgs system, and sometimes it is called the Gaussian system or the electrostatic system. Each system has its own set of derived units for force, energy, electric current, etc. Surprisingly, there are important differences in the basic equations of electrodynamics depending on which system you are using! Important textbooks such as Classical Electrodynamics 3e by J.D. Jackson ©1998 by Wiley and Classical Electrodynamics 2e by Hans C. Ohanian ©2006 by Jones & Bartlett use the cgs system in all their presentation and derivations of basic electric and magnetic equations. I think many theorists prefer this system because the equations look “cleaner”. Introduction to Electrodynamics 3e by David J. Griffiths ©1999 by Benjamin Cummings uses the SI system. Here are some examples of units you may encounter, the relevant facts about them, and how they relate to the SI and cgs systems: Force The SI unit for force comes from Newton’s 2nd law, F = ma, and is the Newton or N. 1 N = 1 kg·m/s2. The cgs unit for force comes from the same equation and is called the dyne, or dyn.
    [Show full text]
  • SI and CGS Units in Electromagnetism
    SI and CGS Units in Electromagnetism Jim Napolitano January 7, 2010 These notes are meant to accompany the course Electromagnetic Theory for the Spring 2010 term at RPI. The course will use CGS units, as does our textbook Classical Electro- dynamics, 2nd Ed. by Hans Ohanian. Up to this point, however, most students have used the International System of Units (SI, also known as MKSA) for mechanics, electricity and magnetism. (I believe it is easy to argue that CGS is more appropriate for teaching elec- tromagnetism to physics students.) These notes are meant to smooth the transition, and to augment the discussion in Appendix 2 of your textbook. The base units1 for mechanics in SI are the meter, kilogram, and second (i.e. \MKS") whereas in CGS they are the centimeter, gram, and second. Conversion between these base units and all the derived units are quite simply given by an appropriate power of 10. For electromagnetism, SI adds a new base unit, the Ampere (\A"). This leads to a world of complications when converting between SI and CGS. Many of these complications are philosophical, but this note does not discuss such issues. For a good, if a bit flippant, on- line discussion see http://info.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Workshop/advice/coils/unit systems/; for a more scholarly article, see \On Electric and Magnetic Units and Dimensions", by R. T. Birge, The American Physics Teacher, 2(1934)41. Electromagnetism: A Preview Electricity and magnetism are not separate phenomena. They are different manifestations of the same phenomenon, called electromagnetism. One requires the application of special relativity to see how electricity and magnetism are united.
    [Show full text]
  • Metric System.Pdf
    METRIC SYSTEM THE METRIC SYSTEM The metric system is much easier. All metric units are related by factors of 10. Nearly the entire world (95%), except the United States, now uses the metric system. Metric is used exclusively in science. Because the metric system uses units related by factors of ten and the types of units (distance, area, volume, mass) are simply-related, performing calculations with the metric system is much easier. METRIC CHART Prefix Symbol Factor Number Factor Word Kilo K 1,000 Thousand Hecto H 100 Hundred Deca Dk 10 Ten Base Unit Meter, gram, liter 1 One Deci D 0.1 Tenth Centi C 0.01 Hundredth Milli M 0.001 Thousandth The metric system has three units or bases. Meter – the basic unit used to measure length Gram – the basic unit used to measure weight Liter – the basic unit used to measure liquid capacity (think 2 Liter cokes!) The United States, Liberia and Burma (countries in black) have stuck with using the Imperial System of measurement. You can think of “the metric system” as a nickname for the International System of Units, or SI. HOW TO REMEMBER THE PREFIXES Kids Kilo Have Hecto Dropped Deca Over base unit (gram, liter, meter) Dead Deci Converting Centi Metrics Milli Large Units – Kilo (1000), Hecto (100), Deca (10) Small Units – Deci (0.1), Centi (0.01), Milli (0.001) Because you are dealing with multiples of ten, you do not have to calculate anything. All you have to do is move the decimal point, but you need to understand what you are doing when you move the decimal point.
    [Show full text]
  • DIMENSIONS and UNITS to Get the Value of a Quantity in Gaussian Units, Multiply the Value Ex- Pressed in SI Units by the Conversion Factor
    DIMENSIONS AND UNITS To get the value of a quantity in Gaussian units, multiply the value ex- pressed in SI units by the conversion factor. Multiples of 3 intheconversion factors result from approximating the speed of light c =2.9979 1010 cm/sec × 3 1010 cm/sec. ≈ × Dimensions Physical Sym- SI Conversion Gaussian Quantity bol SI Gaussian Units Factor Units t2q2 Capacitance C l farad 9 1011 cm ml2 × m1/2l3/2 Charge q q coulomb 3 109 statcoulomb t × q m1/2 Charge ρ coulomb 3 103 statcoulomb 3 3/2 density l l t /m3 × /cm3 tq2 l Conductance siemens 9 1011 cm/sec ml2 t × 2 tq 1 9 1 Conductivity σ siemens 9 10 sec− 3 ml t /m × q m1/2l3/2 Current I,i ampere 3 109 statampere t t2 × q m1/2 Current J, j ampere 3 105 statampere 2 1/2 2 density l t l t /m2 × /cm2 m m 3 3 3 Density ρ kg/m 10− g/cm l3 l3 q m1/2 Displacement D coulomb 12π 105 statcoulomb l2 l1/2t /m2 × /cm2 1/2 ml m 1 4 Electric field E volt/m 10− statvolt/cm t2q l1/2t 3 × 2 1/2 1/2 ml m l 1 2 Electro- , volt 10− statvolt 2 motance EmfE t q t 3 × ml2 ml2 Energy U, W joule 107 erg t2 t2 m m Energy w, ϵ joule/m3 10 erg/cm3 2 2 density lt lt 10 Dimensions Physical Sym- SI Conversion Gaussian Quantity bol SI Gaussian Units Factor Units ml ml Force F newton 105 dyne t2 t2 1 1 Frequency f, ν hertz 1 hertz t t 2 ml t 1 11 Impedance Z ohm 10− sec/cm tq2 l 9 × 2 2 ml t 1 11 2 Inductance L henry 10− sec /cm q2 l 9 × Length l l l meter (m) 102 centimeter (cm) 1/2 q m 3 Magnetic H ampere– 4π 10− oersted 1/2 intensity lt l t turn/m × ml2 m1/2l3/2 Magnetic flux Φ weber 108 maxwell tq t m m1/2 Magnetic
    [Show full text]
  • Alkali Metal Vapor Pressures & Number Densities for Hybrid Spin Exchange Optical Pumping
    Alkali Metal Vapor Pressures & Number Densities for Hybrid Spin Exchange Optical Pumping Jaideep Singh, Peter A. M. Dolph, & William A. Tobias University of Virginia Version 1.95 April 23, 2008 Abstract Vapor pressure curves and number density formulas for the alkali metals are listed and compared from the 1995 CRC, Nesmeyanov, and Killian. Formulas to obtain the temperature, the dimer to monomer density ratio, and the pure vapor ratio given an alkali density are derived. Considerations and formulas for making a prescribed hybrid vapor ratio of alkali to Rb at a prescribed alkali density are presented. Contents 1 Vapor Pressure Curves 2 1.1TheClausius-ClapeyronEquation................................. 2 1.2NumberDensityFormulas...................................... 2 1.3Comparisonwithotherstandardformulas............................. 3 1.4AlkaliDimers............................................. 3 2 Creating Hybrid Mixes 11 2.1Predictingthehybridvaporratio.................................. 11 2.2Findingthedesiredmolefraction.................................. 11 2.3GloveboxMethod........................................... 12 2.4ReactionMethod........................................... 14 1 1 Vapor Pressure Curves 1.1 The Clausius-Clapeyron Equation The saturated vapor pressure above a liquid (solid) is described by the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. It is a consequence of the equality between the chemical potentials of the vapor and liquid (solid). The derivation can be found in any undergraduate text on thermodynamics (e.g. Kittel & Kroemer [1]): Δv · ∂P = L · ∂T/T (1) where P is the pressure, T is the temperature, L is the latent heat of vaporization (sublimation) per particle, and Δv is given by: Vv Vl(s) Δv = vv − vl(s) = − (2) Nv Nl(s) where V is the volume occupied by the particles, N is the number of particles, and the subscripts v & l(s) refer to the vapor & liquid (solid) respectively.
    [Show full text]
  • 20 Coulomb's Law Of
    Coulomb’s Law of 20 Electrostatic Forces Charge Interactions Are Described by Coulomb’s Law Electrical interactions between charges govern much of physics, chemistry, and biology. They are the basis for chemical bonding, weak and strong. Salts dis- solve in water to form the solutions of charged ions that cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface. Salt water forms the working fluid of living cells. pH and salts regulate the associations of proteins, DNA, cells, and colloids, and the conformations of biopolymers. Nervous systems would not function without ion fluxes. Electrostatic interactions are also important in batteries, corrosion, and electroplating. Charge interactions obey Coulomb’s law. When more than two charged par- ticles interact, the energies are sums of Coulombic interactions. To calculate such sums, we introduce the concepts of the electric field, Gauss’s law, and the electrostatic potential. With these tools, you can determine the electrostatic force exerted by one charged object on another, as when an ion interacts with a protein, DNA molecule, or membrane, or when a charged polymer changes conformation. Coulomb’s law was discovered in careful experiments by H Cavendish (1731–1810), J Priestley (1733–1804), and CA Coulomb (1736–1806) on macro- scopic objects such as magnets, glass rods, charged spheres, and silk cloths. Coulomb’s law applies to a wide range of size scales, including atoms, molecules, and biological cells. It states that the interaction energy u(r ) 385 between two charges in a vacuum is Cq q u(r ) = 1 2 , (20.1) r where q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the two charges, r is the distance sep- arating them, and C = 1/4πε0 is a proportionality constant (see box below).
    [Show full text]
  • 3.1 Dimensional Analysis
    3.1 DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS Introduction (For the Teacher).............................................................................................1 Answers to Activities 3.1.1-3.1.7........................................................................................8 3.1.1 Using appropriate unit measures..................................................................................9 3.1.2 Understanding Fundamental Quantities....................................................................14 3.1.3 Understanding unit definitions (SI vs Non-sI Units)................................................17 3.1.4 Discovering Key Relationships Using Fundamental Units (Equations)...................20 3.1.5 Using Dimensional Analysis for Standardizing Units...............................................24 3.1.6 Simplifying Calculations: The Line Method.............................................................26 3.1.7 Solving Problems with Dimensional Analysis ..........................................................29 INTRODUCTION (FOR THE TEACHER) Many teachers tell their students to solve “word problems” by “thinking logically” and checking their answers to see if they “look reasonable”. Although such advice sounds good, it doesn’t translate into good problem solving. What does it mean to “think logically?” How many people ever get an intuitive feel for a coluomb , joule, volt or ampere? How can any student confidently solve problems and evaluate solutions intuitively when the problems involve abstract concepts such as moles, calories,
    [Show full text]