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2: Unit Conversion

  • Page ID
    560365
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    The study of chemistry will open your eyes to a fascinating world. Chemical processes are continuously at work all around us. They happen as you cook and eat food, strike a match, shampoo your hair, and even read this page. Chemistry is called the central science because a knowledge of chemical principles is essential for other sciences. You might be surprised at the extent to which chemistry pervades your life.

    • 2.1: Converting Units
      The ability to convert from one unit to another is an important skill. A unit can be converted to another unit of the same type with a conversion factor.
    • 2.2: More Multi-Step Conversion Problems
      Sometimes you will have to perform more than one conversion to obtain the desired unit.
    • 2.3: Units in the Numerator and the Denominator
      Some complex units are composed of a unit in the numerator and a unit in the denominator. These include units of speed and mileage. Dimensional analysis can be used to make conversions with these units as well.
    • 2.4: Density
      Density is a physical property found by dividing the mass of an object by its volume. Regardless of the sample size, density is always constant.
    • 2.5: Temperature
      Three different scales are commonly used to measure temperature: Fahrenheit (expressed as °F), Celsius (°C), and Kelvin (K).
    • 2.6: Dosage Calculations
      Conversion factors are important in calculating dosages.
    • 2.S: Chemistry, Matter, and Measurement (Summary)
      To ensure that you understand the material in this chapter, you should review the meanings of the bold terms in the following summary and ask yourself how they relate to the topics in the chapter.
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    Thumbnail: Two small test tubes held in spring clamps. (CC BY-SA 3.0; mitchell125).


    This page titled 2: Unit Conversion is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Eden Francis via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.