Now let's learn how to use this process by creating some conversion factors and using them to solve some problems. We'll start with some easy problems which are not particularly useful to health care professional but can be easily understood and we'll proceed to solutions to some useful but more difficult problems

AMERICAN UNIT CONVERSION

Let's go back to those three examples which were given in the earlier section on equality of units and convert the first quantity of each of these sets of equivalent quantities to the second quantity. Be sure to calculate each of the following American unit conversions in your head before doing them and see if you get the right answer.

1. Create a conversion factor fraction

2. Put appropriate numbers in front of each unit to make them equivalent
since 4 quarts = 1 gallon then

3. Multiply the original quantity by the conversion factor

Notice that in doing this last step of multiplication, we multiply the original quantity by the top number of the fraction and divide by the bottom number with the old unit canceling out (remember this unit conversion fact —it will be important later on).

To do the first example (in reverse), 2 gallons = ? quarts:

1. Create a conversion factor fraction

2. Put appropriate numbers in front of each unit to make them equivalent
since 4 quarts = 1 gallon then

3. Multiply the original quantity by the conversion factor

To do the second example (an example of weight conversion), 72 inches = ? yards:

1. Create two conversion factor fractions

to convert from inches to feet

and to convert from feet to yards

2. Put appropriate numbers in front of each unit to make them equivalent since 12 inches = 1 foot and 3 feet = 1 yard then

3. Multiply the original quantity by the conversion factors in such a way as to cancel each of the unwanted units

Now try these American quantity conversions.

Do your work on paper and later check with the solutions by clicking here.