PHYS 1403 Lab 1: Scientific Calculations

Worksheet
Name: Skylar Meehan

CWID: 200006502

Enter you answers to each question in the data tables and boxes below. When
completed, please upload this file using the lab submission link in Canvas (please
submit this file in .doc, .docx, or .pdf formats only). Please be sure that all data tables
and all yellow highlighted questions are completed.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The various metric units are shown below:

Metric Unit Abbreviation # of Meters

1 nanometer 1 nm 10-9
1 micrometer 1 µm 10-6
1 millimeter 1 mm 10 (.001)
-3

1 centimeter 1 cm 10-2 (.01)

1 meter 1m 1
1 kilometer 1 km 103 (1000)

The following are some equivalent lengths in the British system. These equivalent
lengths are called conversion factors.

Metric Unit British Equivalent Conversion Factor

1 cm 0.394 in 1 cm = 0.394 in
1 in = 2.54 cm
1m 39.4 in 1 m = 39.4 in
1 ft = 0.305 m
1 km 0.62 mi 1 km = 0.62 mi
1 mi = 1.61 km

Some other conversion factors that will be useful are:

1 mile = 5280 ft
1 ft = 12 inches

Converting from one metric unit to another or from a metric unit to a British unit is
easy. Study the following examples:

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 Example # 1 How many centimeters are there in 1 kilometer?

1000 m 100 cm
1 km = 1 km × × = 100,000 cm = 1.00 × 105 cm
1 km 1m
In this example, note how the km in the numerator cancels the km in the
denominator. Also the meters cancel out leaving cm in the result. When writing the
conversion factors it is a good idea to first write the units and then put the appropriate
numbers next to them.
The final answer is given in exponential notation (also called scientific notation).
This is to avoid writing too many zeroes. The table below shows the exponents for some
numbers:

10 = 1 x 101 1 = 1 x 100
100 = 1 x 102 0.1 = 1 x 10-1
1000 = 1 x 103 0.01 = 1 x 10-2

Example # 2 How many millimeters are there in 56 meters?

1000 mm
56 m = 56 m × = 56,000 mm = 5.60 × 104 mm
1m
56,000 mm can be written as 56 x 103 mm or 560 x 102 mm or 5.60 x 104 mm. However,
the convention is to keep the number between 1 and 9.99, so 5.60 x 104 mm will be the
preferred way to write this result.

Example # 3 How many miles are there in 4580 kilometers?

0.62 mi
First Way : 4580 km = 4580 km × = 2840 mi
1 km
1 mi
Second Way : 4580 km = 4580 km × = 2845 mi
1.61 km
Using a different conversion factor MAY give you a slightly different result as this
example shows. But its important to ask, is this difference significant? For the purpose
of measurements and calculations in this lab, a difference of 5 miles in 2840 miles is not
significant, so either answer would be counted correct.

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 Example # 4 How many centimeters are there in 8.0 feet?

12 in 2.54 cm
8.0 ft = 8.0 ft × × = 243.8 cm
1 ft 1 in

PRELAB QUESTIONS

1. How many centimeters are there in 1 meter?

1 m = 100 cm

2. How many millimeters are there in 1 centimeter?

1 cm = 10 mm

3. How many meters make up a kilometer?

1 km = 1000 m

4. In each of the following pairs, type which of the two units that is larger in the third
column.

nanometer micrometer micrometer

kilometer mile mile
inch centimeter inch
foot meter meter
millimeter kilometer kilometer

EXERCISE
A. DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS

5. Use a metric ruler to measure the length of a sheet of printer paper

in centimeters.
Length of page in cm = 2.77 x 10^1

6. Calculate the length of the page in millimeters and meters.

Length of page in mm = 2.77 x 10^2

Length of page in m = 2.77 x 10^-1

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7. Use the metric ruler to measure the width of a piece of printer in centimeters.

Width of page in cm = 2.15 x 10^1

8. Calculate the width of the page in millimeters and meters.

Width of page in mm = 2.15 x 10^2

Width of page in m = 2.15 x 10^-1

9. Estimate the length of the following objects in centimeters, then measure their lengths
to see how close your estimates were!

Object Estimated Length Measured Length

Pencil 17 15
Coin 3 2.5
Textbook 25 27
Computer Keyboard 20 27
Calculator 20 19

10. Estimate the distance from your house to Collin College in miles. Now convert your
estimate to kilometers.

Estimated Distance in miles = 6 Miles

Distance in km = 9.6774 km

11. While the kilometer may be an adequate unit for measuring distances on Earth, for
astronomical work, the "Astronomical Unit" (AU) is more convenient. What is the
definition of an AU?

12. How many kilometers are there in 1 astronomical unit?

AU in km = 1.5 x 10^8

13. The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 384,000 km. Express this
distance in scientific notation.

Moon/Earth distance = 3.84 x 10^5

14. What is the average Earth-Moon distance in AU?

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Moon/Earth distance in AU = 2.56 x 10^-3

15. Calculate the distances from the Sun to each of the planets in AU. The table below
gives the distances from each planet to the Sun.

Planet Distance (km) Distance (AU)

Mercury 58 x 106 km 3.8667 x 10^-1
Venus 108 x 106 km 7.2 x 10^-1
Earth 150 x 106 km 1 x 10^0
Mars 228 x 106 km 1.52 x 10^0
Jupiter 778 x 106 km 5.1867 x 10^0
Saturn 1427 x 106 km 9.5133 x 10^0
Uranus 2870 x 106 km 1.9133 x 10^1
Neptune 4450 x 106 km 2.9667 x 10^1

B. SPEED MEASUREMENTS
The fastest speed known is that of light. Light travels at the incredible speed of 3 × 108
meters per second! The speed of light is represented by a letter c (so, c = 3 × 108 m/s).
Since

Distance
Speed =
Time
We can get

Distance = Speed × Time

Since light has the fastest speed, the equation above is used to express large
distances. In this scheme, the distance to an object is given in terms of how long it takes
light to travel there.

Example #5 Convert the speed of light given to be 3 x 108 m/s into km/hr.

1 km 60 s 60 min
c = 3 × 108 m/s × × × = 1.08 × 109 km/hr
1000 m 1 min 1 hr
16. Find the speed of light in km/day.

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c in km/day = 2.592 x 10^10

17. What is the speed of light in miles/hour?

c in miles/hour = 6.696 x 10^8

18. How many kilometers does light travel in 1 year?

c in km/year = 9.4608 x 10^12

19. Astronomers use the term "Light Year" (ly) to measure distances to stars. What is
the definition of a ly?

The distance light travels in 1 year.

20. How much time does it take for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth?

Sun/Earth time = 8 minutes 20 seconds

21. How much time does it take light to travel from the Earth to Jupiter?

Earth/Jupiter time = 38 minutes 53 seconds

22. The nearest star system (α - Centauri) is located 4.3 light-years from Earth. How
many miles is this?

Earth/α - Centauri distance in miles = 2.5222 x 10^13

23. What is the distance of α - Centauri from Earth in AU?

Earth/α - Centauri distance in AU = 2.7121 x 10^5

24. What is the distance of α - Centauri from Earth in km?

Earth/α - Centauri distance in km = 4.0681 x 10^13

25. The fastest a spacecraft has traveled is 26 miles/s. Convert this speed to m/s.

Spacecraft speed in m/s = 4.1935 x 10^4

26. How long will it take a spacecraft to go from Earth to α - Centauri at that speed?
Give your answer in units of years.

Travel time in years = 9.701 x 10^11