Conversion Problems Related to Business

Conversion Factor Quiz

Solve the following problems using conversion factors. Be sure to show your work including the conversion factor/s used.

1. Katana Summit needs to buy steel for it’s wind turbine towers, the measurements for the towers are all in mm. If a can is made from one sheet of steel and the can has the dimensions of 8000 mm X 15000 mm, what are the dimensions of the steel sheet in feet?

2. A hydroelectric plant needs to know how many cubic centimeters of water are in 1 acre/foot of water. There are 555 X 109 gallons in an acre/ft., 1 gallon is equal to 3.785 Liters, and 1cc is equal to 1 mL. Make this conversion be sure to show all your conversion factors.

3. In industries, such as Behlen Mfg. Co., buying and selling of steel products is global so they must not only convert metric measurements but also money. If they are selling a $25,000 structure to a company in Germany how many Euros would that be? $1 is equal to 0.8112 Eros.

4. What is the tip speed, in miles per hour, of a turbine blade with a radius of 41 m, and the blade revolves at 14 rpms. (circumference = pi X diameter) 1m = 39.37 in, 1mile = 5280 ft.

5. Steel is priced by hundred weight (cwt) which is 100 lb. of steel. A building requires 34,956 sq. ft. of .25 in. thick steel, the steel has a density of 0.284 lb/in3 . How much steel is that in cwt? If the price is $53.4/cwt what is the cost of the steel for this building?

6. Katana Summit must build a tower for a wind turbine with blades that are 131 feet long. The tower is twice as tall at the blades are long how many meters tall must the tower be

Answer Key to quiz problems:

2. 555 x 109 gallon X 3.785 L / gal = 2.100675 X 1012 L X 1000 mL/ L = 2.100675 X 1015 mL = 100675 X 1015 cc.

3. $25,000 X 0.8112 Euros/ $1 = 20,280 Euros

4. 41 m X 2 = 82 m X 3.14 = 257.48 m/ revolution X 14 revolutions/ min = 3604.72 m/min X 60 min/ hr = 216,283.2 m/ hr X 39.36 in/m = 8512906.8 in/hr X 1 ft/12 in = 709408.9 ft/hr X 1 mi/ 5280 ft. = 134.4 mi/hr.(there are other ways of making this conversion)

5. 34,596 ft2 X 144 in2 / ft2 = 4,981,824 in2 X .25 in = 1,245,456 in3 X 0.284 lb/ in3 = 353,709.5 lb X 1 cwt/ 100 lb = 3,537.1 cwt X $53.4/ cwt = $188,880.88

6. 131 ft X 12 in/ ft = 1572 in X 1 m/ 39.36 in = 39.94 m X 2 = 79.9 or 80 m