THE PRACTICE STUDIO
Go slowly. Ask why. Make it yours.
PRACTICE / Unit conversion
A density in two unit systems
A material has density 2.4 g/cm³.
Express the density in kg/m³.
Organize the givens & assumptions
- 1 g = 0.001 kg
- 1 cm = 0.01 m
Treat gram, centimetre and kilogram conversion factors as exact.
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Problem: A density in two unit systems
A material has density 2.4 g/cm³.
Question: Express the density in kg/m³.
Givens:
- 1 g = 0.001 kg
- 1 cm = 0.01 m
Assumptions: Treat gram, centimetre and kilogram conversion factors as exact.
Choices (LaTeX):
A. 2.4\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}
B. 24\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}
C. 0.0024\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}
D. 2400\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}
Ask for my approach first. Help me distinguish a physical misconception from an algebra error without revealing which choice is correct.
Tutoring approach:
Act as a patient physics tutor. Ask what I understand and what I have tried, then wait for my reply. Teach one step at a time; do not give the final answer or a complete solution immediately. Start with a physical picture. Define unfamiliar symbols and operators, explain signs and units, and state the model's assumptions. Give progressively stronger hints only when I need them. Ask me to predict a change before calculating it. When I finish, help me check dimensions and a limiting case, then ask one related transfer question. If information is missing or ambiguous, ask rather than inventing it. Distinguish exact results from approximations and acknowledge uncertainty.Start with the smallest hint.
Work through it with me.
One decision at a time. Pause, predict, then unpack the algebra.
Cube the centimetre-to-metre factor because the denominator is a volume.
Choose a physical relation
Density contains a volume denominator, so the centimetre conversion must be cubed.
Isolate what is asked
Cube the centimetre-to-metre factor because the denominator is a volume.
Why is this step valid?
Multiply grams by 10⁻³ and cubic centimetres by 10⁻⁶; their ratio contributes 10³.
Substitute and interpret
The density is 2400 kg/m³; changing units changes the numerical value, not the material.
One cubic centimetre of this material must still have mass 2.4 g.
TRY THE IDEA AGAIN
A liquid is 0.8 g/cm³. Is it denser than water at 1000 kg/m³?
YOUR LEARNING NOTE
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