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General Physics 1
Semester I – Week 1
Conversion of Units and Scientific
Notation

CONTEXTUALIZED LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

SCHOOLS DIVISION OF PUERTO PRINCESA CITY
General Physics 1 (STEM) – Grade 12
Contextualized Learning Activity Sheets (CLAS)
Semester I - Week 1: Conversion of Units and Scientific Notation
First Edition, 2020

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Lesson 1
Conversion of Units and Scientific
Notation
MELC: Solve measurement problems involving conversion of units, expression of
measurements in scientific notation. (STEM_GP12EU-Ia-1)

Objectives: 1. Identify the correct exponential form/power and abbreviation of the SI

Unit prefixes.
. 2. Determine whether the given conversion factor is for length, mass, or
time.
3. Discuss some important points in writing numbers in scientific notation.
4. Perform conversion of units and express the final answer in scientific
notation.

Let’s Try
Directions: Solve the following measurement problems involving conversion of units on
separate sheets of paper. Write the letter bearing the correct answer on the line provided
before the number.

1. Anna is 165 cm tall and weighs 52 000 grams. Express her height in inches and
her weight in pounds, respectively.
A. 121.12 inches; 163.32 lbs C. 87.93 inches; 127.28 lbs
B. 104.11 inches; 142.44 lbs D. 64.96 inches; 114.66 lbs

2. The fastest mission to fly past the Moon was NASA’s New Horizons Pluto mission.
With its Atlas V rocket, it could accelerate up to a speed of 58,536 km/h and it only
took 8 hours and 35 minutes to reach the Moon. How fast is Atlas V Rocket
launching speed in feet per second (ft/s) and how long would it take the rocket to
go back-and-forth to the moon in hours? (Is it long enough for you to love someone
to the moon and back?)
A. 47 430.43 ft/s; 15.13 hrs C. 58 125.11 ft/s; 22.12 hrs
B. 53 349.06 ft/s; 17.17 hrs D. 64 347.44 ft/s; 27.34 hrs

3. A rocket launched from the surface of the Earth needs a speed of at least 7.9
kilometers per second (km/s) in order to reach the space. This speed is called the
orbital velocity. Convert this rocket launching speed to miles per hour.
A. 17 675.57 mph C. 31 587.01 mph
B. 22 348.46 mph D. 37 565.44 mph

4. The ISA or International Standard Atmosphere states that the density of air is
1.225 kg/m3 at sea level at 15.0 Co. Convert this density to gram per cubic
centimeters.
A. 4.06 X 10-3 g/cm3 C. 1.225 X 10-3 g/cm3

B. 2.03 X 10-3 g/cm3 D. 1.002 X 10-3 g/cm3

1
__ _ 5. In theory, the closest that Earth and Mars would approach each other would be
when Mars is at its closest point to the sun (perihelion) and Earth is at its farthest
(aphelion). This would put the planets only 33.9 million miles apart. Convert this
distance in meter.
A. 5.455 X 1010 m C. 8.327 X 1010 m
B. 7.245 X 1010 m D. 9.621 X 1010 m

Directions: Express the following measurements in scientific notation. Write the letter
bearing the correct answer on the line provided before the number.

_ __ 6. The equatorial circumference of Earth is about 24,901 miles. Express this

equatorial circumference of the Earth in centimeters.
A. 4.007 X 106 cm C. 4.007 X 108 cm
7
B. 4.007 X 10 cm D. 4.007 X 109 cm

_ __
7. Kornreich used a very rough estimate of 10 trillion galaxies in the universe.
Multiplying that by the Milky Way's estimated 100 billion stars, how many stars are
there in the entire Universe?
A. 1.0 X 1024 stars C. 1.0 X 1026 stars
B. 1.0 X 10 stars
25 D. 1.0 X 1027stars

8. Most recent estimate of the number of cells in the average human body is around
30 trillion. If there are almost 8 billion human beings in the planet, how many cells
are there all in all?
A. 2.4 X 1021 cells C. 2.4 X 1023 cells
B. 2.4 X 1022 cells D. 2.4 X 1024cells

9. The capacity of the cloud computer is about 4.5 X 1013 bytes. Express this into
whole number using the SI prefix.
A. 45 kB B. 45 MB C. 45 GB D. 45 TB

10. Express 3.14 am (attometer) in scientific notation

A. 3.14 X 10-18 m C. 3.14 X 10-24 m
B. 3.14 X 10-21m D. 3.14 X 10-24 m

Let’s Explore and Discover

Unlock ing of Noah built his ark using cubit as measurement. Cubit was the
Difficulties length of an adult man’s forearm or the distance from his elbow to
the tip of his middle finger. A cubit is also equal to half of a yard
• SI Units – It refers or 18 inches.
to the system of
Human civilization developed ways of measuring length,
standard units
distances, weight, time, and volume like the one foot-rule we still
recognize d use today is originally the length of a man’s foot, an inch was the
internatio nally. distance from the knuckle to the tip of the thumb, and a yard is
• Magnitude – It is the distance from the tip of a man’s nose to the end of a man’s
the number and the outstretched arm.
unit you us e in
measuring (ex. 5 ft) Have you heard of the unit of measurement called the fathom?
The span? Or the hand? Older ways of measurement use parts of
the body as a standard, but human bodies differ in sizes, some are
taller and bigger while others are shorter and smaller.

2
Luckily nowadays we already have the SI Units or the System International of Units and
in this lesson, you will be solving measurement problems involving conversion of units and
expressing measurements in scientific notation.
Let’s just recall some important concepts such as the exponential forms of unit prefixes
and some conversion factors that will be used in the lesson.

EXPONENTIAL PREFIX ABBREVIATION EXPONENTIAL PREFIX ABBREVIATION

FORM/POWER FORM/POWER

100 No Equals to 1 10-1 Deci d

prefix

101 Deca da 10-2 Centi c

102 Hector h 10-3 Milli m

103 Kilo k 10-6 Micro µ

106 Mega M 10-9 Nano n

109 Giga G 10-12 Pico p

1012 Tera T 10-15 Femto f

1015 Peta P 10-18 Atto a

1018 Exa E 10-21 Zepto z
1021 Zetta Z 10-24 Yocto y
1024 Yotta Y
Remember: Positive exponent represents big number while negative exponent represents small
number.

CONVERSION FACTORS
LENGTH TIME VOLUME MASS
1 mi = 1.609 km 1 yd = 91.44 cm 1 da = 86 400 s 1L = 1000cm3 1 kg = 1000 g
1 nautical mile = 1 yd = 36 in 1 hr = 3600 s in3 = cm3 1 kg = 0.0685
6080 ft 1 yd = 3 ft slug
1 km = 1000 m 1 cubit = 18 in 1 hr = 60 min 1kg = 2.205 lbs
1 m=100cm 1 ft = 30.48 cm 1 g = 6.85 x 10-5
slug
1 m = 3.281 ft 1 in = 2.540 cm
Note: in = inches; mi = mile; da = days; min =minutes; ft = foot; cm = centimeter; yd = yard;
lbs = pounds

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION
Scientific notation is the easiest way of expressing very large and very small numbers.
Scientific community nowadays are always dealing with huge and tiny numbers like the
distances between objects in the space, the number and sizes of galaxies and stars, the
mass and diameter of electrons and protons of atoms, and as well as the sizes of bacteria
and viruses. Here are some reminders about scientific notation:

✓ The number in scientific notation is expressed as the product of an integral

power of 10.
✓ The number is equal to or greater than 1 but less than 10.
✓ The decimal point is placed to the right of the first non zero digit.
✓ The exponent of 10 represents the number of places the decimal point is moved.
✓ The negative exponent indicates that decimal point was moved to the right.
✓ The positive exponent tells that the decimal point was moved to the left.
3
Examples:

The value 1 000 910. becomes 1.0 x 106 by moving the decimal point to the left.

The value 0.000 15 becomes 1.5 x 10-4 by moving the decimal point to the right.

CONVERSION OF UNITS

Table 1: Converting feet to meter

STEP WHAT? HOW?

1 Write down the given magnitude over 1 9.5ft
1
2 Multiply the given magnitude with the
Unit Conversion Factor (UCF) GIVEN UCF

The UCF for the given magnitude and 9.50 ft X 1.00 m = 9.50 m
the unit asked is 1.00 m = 3.281 ft 1 3.281 ft 3.281

Remember to put the same unit at

opposite position for cancellation.

When the unit feet is cancelled, the

only unit left is meter.

It means that you have

successfully converted feet to
meter.

3 Divide the numerator by the

denominator 9.50 m = 2.90 m
3.281

4 Conclusion The magnitude of the width of an

object is 9.50 feet or 2.90 m.

Table 2: Converting feet to yard

STEP WHAT? HOW?

1 Write down the given magnitude over 1 9.5ft
1
2 Multiply the given magnitude with the
Unit Conversion Factor (UCF) GIVEN UCF

The UCF for the given magnitude and 9.50 ft X 1.00 yd = 9.50 yd
the unit asked is 1 3.00 ft 3.00
1.00 yd = 36.00 in = 3.00 ft
Remember to put the same unit at
opposite position for cancellation.

When the unit feet is cancelled, the

only unit left is yard.

4
It means that you have
successfully converted feet to
yard.
3 Divide the numerator by the
denominator 9.50 yd = 3.17 yd
3.00

4 Conclusion The magnitude of the width of an

object is 9.50 feet or 2.17 yd.

Table 3: Converting meter per second (m/s) to mile per hour (mi/h)

STEP WHAT? HOW?

1 Write down the given 28.00m
magnitude separating the 1s
units at the numerator and The given 28.00 m/s means the object is
denominator. travelling 28 meters for every 1 second.

2 Multiply the given magnitude GIVEN m to mi s to hr

with the Unit Conversion

m/s UCF1 UCF 2
Factor (UCF)
28.00 m X 1.00 mi X 3600 s = 100 800 mi
The UCF for the given 1.0 s 1609 m 1.0 hr 1609 hr

magnitude and the unit asked .

is
Remember to put the same unit at opposite
position for cancellation.
1.00 mi = 1.609 km = 1609 m
When the unit meter and second are
and 1.0 hr = 3600 s cancelled, the only units left are mile and
hour.
It means that you have successfully
converted m/s to mi/hr.

3 Divide the numerator by the 100 800 mi = 62.65 mi

denominator
1609 hr hr

4 Conclusion The magnitude of the speed of the object is

28.00 m/s or 62.65 mi/hr (mph).

5
Table 4: Converting square feet (ft2) to square meter (m2)
STEP WHAT? HOW?
1 Write down the given 880.00ft2
magnitude over 1 1

2 Multiply the given magnitude GIVEN UCF? (read under WHAT?)

with the Unit Conversion
Factor (UCF) 880.00 ft2 X 1.00 m2 = 880.00m2
1 10.76 ft2 10.76
The UCF for the given
magnitude and the unit asked Remember to put the same unit at opposite
is 1.0 m = 3.281 ft position for cancellation.

Multiply both at itself

to get their squares: When the unit square feet (ft2) is cancelled,
the only unit left is the square meter (m 2).
1.0 m X 1.0 m = 1.0 m2 and
It means that you have successfully
3.281 ft X 3.281 ft = 10.76 ft2 converted square feet (ft2) to square meter
(m2).
Therefore:
1.0 m2 = 10.76 ft2

3 Divide the numerator by the

denominator 880.00m2 = 81.78 m2
10.76

4 Conclusion The magnitude of the area is 880.00 ft2 or

81.78 m2.

Table 5: Converting nanometers to centimeters

STEP WHAT? HOW?

1 Write down the given in The given is 3.7 nanometers
scientific notation over 1
3.7 nm = 3.7 X 10-9 m
3.7 X 10-9 m
1
2 Multiply the given magnitude
with the Unit Conversion GIVEN UCF
Factor (UCF)
3.7 X 10-9 m X 100 cm = 3.7 X 10-7 cm
The UCF for the given 1 1.0 m 1
magnitude and the unit asked
is 1.0 m = 100 cm
3 Divide the numerator by the 3.7 X 10-7 cm = 3.7 X 10-7 cm
denominator 1

4 Conclusion The magnitude of the length of the object is

3.7 nm or 3.7 X 10-7 cm.

6
Let’s Practice

Directions: Tell whether the given combination of prefix, abbreviation and exponential
forms are correct or not. Write POWER if the combination is correct and NOT if wrong. The
first one Is done for you.

Prefix Abbreviation Exponential YOUR ANSWER

Form
kilo k 103 POWER
1 tera T 1015
2 milli µ 10-3
3 giga G 109
4 yocto Y 1024
5 nano n 10-9

Directions: Determine to which quantity each conversion factor belongs. Write LENGTH,
MASS, or TIME on the line before the number.

1. 1kg = 2.205 lbs

2. 1 mi = 1.609 km
3. 1 da = 86 400 s
4. 1 g = 6.85 x 10-5 slug
5. 1 cubit = 18 in

Why is it necessary for you be informed of the different units used in measurement?

7
Let’s Do More

Directions: Solve the following measurement problems on a separate sheet of paper.

Present you answer in sentence form under the column of CONCLUSION. The first one is
done for you.
PROBLEMS CONCLUSIONS
A carpet is to be installed in a room of length 12.30 m The area of the room is 9.348
and width 7.60 m. Find the area of the room and report x101 m2 or 1.00584 x103 ft2.
your answer in both meter and in feet.

1 Noah’s Ark is 300.00 cubits long, 50.00 cubits wide, and

30.00 cubits high according to the Bible. What is its
volume in cubic meter (m3)?
V=LxWxH

2 The tallest peak in Palawan is Mt Mantalingahan, found

in the southern part of the province, with a height of
2,085 meters above sea level and is considered sacred by
the indigenous people of Palawan people.

The Emdem Deep in the Philippine Trench is the third

deepest point on Earth measuring to 10,400 meters.

If Mt. Mantalingahan were submerged at this location,

how much deep of water would cover it over in yard?

3 The density of diamond is 3.51 g/cm3. What is this value

in kilograms per cubic meter?

Directions: Convert the given challenging units to the units required and express your final
answer in scientific notation. Use separate sheet of paper for your solutions then write your
final answer under the column of CONCLUSION, in sentence form.

PROBLEM CONCLUSION
Convert 2.5 L to cubic inches (in3) The volume of 2.5 L is equal to 152.53 in3 or
1.5253 x 102 in3 .
1 Convert 55 miles per hour (mph) to feet
per second (ft/s)

2 Convert the area of the base of the

pyramid of 43,569 ft2 to square meter (m2)

3 Convert the density of gold of 19.30 grams

per cubic centimeters g/cm3) to kilogram
per cubic meter (kg/m3)

4 Convert the density of platinum of 21 447

kg/m³ to slug per cubic feet (slug/ft3).
5 Convert 47 nautical mile per hour to
meter per second.

8
Let’s Sum It Up
Directions: Supply the needed data to complete the 3-2-1 diagram below.

List down three (3) important points to consider in writing scientific notation; two (2)
important points to consider in converting units; and the one (1) system of measurement
that makes unit conversion easier.

SCIENTIFIC
NOTATION

CONVERSION
OF UNITS

SYSTEM

Let’s Assess
Directions: Solve the following measurement problems involving conversion of units on
separate sheets of paper. Write the letter bearing the correct answer on the line provided
before the number.

1. A rocket launched from the surface of the Earth needs a speed of at least 7.9
kilometers per second (km/s) in order to reach the space. This speed is called the
orbital velocity. Convert this rocket launching speed to miles per hour.
A. 17 675.57 mph C. 31 587.01 mph
B. 22 348.46 mph D. 37 565.44 mph

2. The ISA or International Standard Atmosphere states that the density of air is
1.225 kg/m3 at sea level at 15.0 Co. Convert this density to gram per cubic
centimeters.
A. 4.06 X 10-3 g/cm3 C. 1.225 X 10-3 g/cm3
B. 2.03 X 10-3 g/cm3 D. 1.002 X 10-3 g/cm3

9
__ _ 3. In theory, the closest that Earth and Mars would approach each other would be
when Mars is at its closest point to the sun (perihelion) and Earth is at its farthest
(aphelion). This would put the planets only 33.9 million miles apart. Convert this
distance in meter.
A. 5.455 X 1010 m C. 8.327 X 1010 m
B. 7.245 X 1010 m D. 9.621 X 1010 m

4. Anna is 165 cm tall and weighs 52 000 grams. Express her height in inches and
her weight in pounds, respectively.
A. 121.12 inches; 163.32 lbs C. 87.93 inches; 127.28 lbs
B. 104.11 inches; 142.44 lbs D. 64.96 inches; 114.66 lbs

5. The fastest mission to fly past the Moon was NASA’s New Horizons Pluto mission.
With its Atlas V rocket, it could accelerate up to a speed of 58,536 km/h and it only
took 8 hours and 35 minutes to reach the Moon. How fast is Atlas V Rocket
launching speed in feet per second (ft/s) and how long would it take the rocket to
go back-and-forth to the moon in hours? (Is it long enough for you to love someone
to the moon and back?)
A. 47 430.43 ft/s; 15.13 hrs C. 58 125.11 ft/s; 22.12 hrs
B. 53 349.06 ft/s; 17.17 hrs D. 64 347.44 ft/s; 27.34 hrs

Directions: Express the following measurements in scientific notation. Write the letter
bearing the correct answer on the line provided before the number.

6. The equatorial circumference of Earth is about 24,901 miles). Express this

equatorial circumference of the Earth in centimeters.
A. 4.007 X 106 cm C. 4.007 X 108 cm
B. 4.007 X 107 cm D. 4.007 X 109 cm

7. The capacity of the cloud computer is about 4.5 X 1013 bytes. Express this into
whole number using the SI prefix.
A. 45 kB B. 45 MB C. 45 GB D. 45 TB

8. Express 3.14 am (attometer) in scientific notation

A. 3.14 X 10-18 m C. 3.14 X 10-24 m
B. 3.14 X 10-21m D. 3.14 X 10-24 m

9. Kornreich used a very rough estimate of 10 trillion galaxies in the universe.

Multiplying that by the Milky Way's estimated 100 billion stars, how many stars are
there in the entire Universe?
A. 1.0 X 1024 stars C. 1.0 X 1026 stars
B. 1.0 X 10 stars
25 D. 1.0 X 1027stars

10. Most recent estimate of the number of cells in the average human body is around
30 trillion. If there are almost 8 billion human beings in the planet, how many cells
are there all in all?
C. 2.4 X 1021 cells C. 2.4 X 1023 cells
D. 2.4 X 1022 cells D. 2.4 X 1024cells

10
References
Books

Giancoli, Douglas C. Physics Principles with Applications. 7th ed. 9. North Buona Vista Drive #13-01
The Metropolis Tower One, Singapore 138588: Pearson Education. 2016.

Halpern, Alvin. 3,000 Solved Problems in Physics. 1st ed. United States of America:
McGrawhill. 2011.

Ibrahim, Imran. Integrated Science Physics A Topical Course Assessment for Lower Secondary Levels.
1st ed. 219 Henderson Road #10-04, Henderson Industrial Park, Singapore159556:
Singapore Asia Publishers. 2011.

Pancella, Paul V., and Marc Humphrey. Idiot’s Guides As Easy As It Gets! Physics. 1st ed. 375
Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA: Penguin Random House. 2015.

Rooney, Anne. How the World Works Physics from Natural Philosophy to the Enigma Dark Matter.
1st ed. 26/27 Bickels Yard, 151-153 Bermondsey Street, London: Arcturus Publishing.
2017.

Wolf, Jonathan S. Easy Physics STEP-BY-STEP. 1st ed. United States of America: McGrawhill.
2013.

Young, Hugh D. et al. College Physics. 7th ed. 58 Kalayaan St., Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines:
Addison-Wesley Publishing. 1992

Digital Sources

Llaneta, Celeste Ann Castillo. “UP marine scientist makes history as the 1 st Filipino to reach the 3 rd
deepest point on Earth”. March 23, 2021. https://up.edu.ph/up-marine-scientist-makes-
history-as-the-1st-filipino-to-reach-the-3rd-deepest-point-on-earth/

unesco.org.”Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape”. Accessed August 6, 2021.

https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6006/peak in the province and considered sacred
by the indigenous Palawan people.

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