Chem help needed in next 30 min....

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Ugg, I've been working on this problem all friggin day. It's due at 4pm and I just don't think I have the right answer... if someone feels really ambitious and wants to work it and tell me your answer... I'd be forever grateful. You just have to do it before 3pm... LOL

Anyway here it is:

The average annual consumption of soda by a teenage boy is 2484 dm 3

What is this value in cubic inches?

(BTW, the 3 is cubed... I just can't seem to make it look right on here).

Ok Ya'll... the timer starts now... LOL Only kidding, but if you happen to get this in the next few minutes, I'd love to know what you find out...

The conversion factors are as follows:

1 dm = .1 m

1 cm = .01m

2.54 cm = 1 inch

TIA

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:bugeyes:

Anyone????

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Specializes in SRNA.

If you're still around, PM your email address and I can scan you my setup so you can see how its done.

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ok, we're on similar stuff in our chem class currently. btw, my answer is not properly rounded or put in the correct amount of sig figs because i'm still figuring that out (so it's in the calculator answer format)

2484 dm^3 (10cm^3)(.0610237441 in^3)= 2484(10)(.0610237441)

(1dm^3 )(1cm^3) 1

=1515.829801 in^3 (whoops!!! ignore this one!!!!! i still apparently have more to learn regarding this because my decimal point ended up in the wrong place. please look at asherah's answer instead. i'd delete this post, but i haven't found an option to do so.)

i've got some yummy crow to go eat now! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in SRNA.

Actually, I'm sorry but the above answer is incorrect. My calculation came to 151,582.98 cubic inches, which I verified with google calculator

In google, you can enter the search as follows: 2484 decimeters cubed to cubic inches

To the original poster, if you're still around, I can scan you my setup, just let me know.

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I don't know how to private msg but I'm interested in your setup...I'm already lost with conversions and its only Chapter 1!!!

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Thank you all for your help. Thankfully... our instructor said we now have until tomorrow to turn in our hw. I guess I'm not the only nimwit in the class... :uhoh3:

Ashera, I'm so totally clueless about this stuff... I can pm you but I'm not sure what you mean by set up? Is it something you just email me and I can use it as a tool?? Like I said... I'm totally clueless about this.

Thanks and I'll pm ya!

Jen

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We are doing the same thing in my Chem class. Just had my first lab tonight on measurements and temperature measurements. I think that I did pretty well. Our instructor has us do homework but doesn't take it up. It is just practice for us. I think that I am doing well on the conversion factors. I get messed up some on the problems with multiple conversions. Love my instructor, though. He is very laid back and flexible. We don't even have to write out our procedures in our lab notebook. It is all on the chemistry website of my cc. We just print, cut and paste.

I hope that you do well in all of your classes! Wish me luck, too!!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Just to provide an in-post solution for future reference:

Given: volume of 2484 cubic decimeters

Find: volume in cubic inches

Unit Conversions:

1 dm = .1 m

1 cm = .01m

2.54 cm = 1 inch

Symbol Definition: X^3 means X cubed or X raised to the third power

The confusing part of working these problems is that the units are raised to an exponential power (in this case, cubed because it's a volume). The key is to understand the basic rules of exponentiation:

  • (X / Y)^3 = X^3 / Y^3
  • (XY)^3 = X^3 x Y^3

The other important thing to recognize is that the exponentiation applies to the units and provides the key to their conversion.

Example

Convert 2 cubic meters into cubic centimeters. You of course know that 1 meter = 100 centimeters . So, the linear conversion would simply be:

  • 2 m x (100 cm/1 m) = 200 cm.

However, the volumetric conversion requires the exponentiation:

  • 2 m^3 x (100 cm/1 m)^3 = 2m^3 x (100 cm)^3 / (1 m)^3

= 2 m^3 x (100^3 cm^3) / (1^3 m^3)

= 2 m^3 x 1,000,000 cm^3 / m^3

= 2,000,000 cm^3

So, while 1 m = 100 cm, 1 cubic meter (m^3) = 1,000,000 cc (= 100^3 cc = 100^3 cm^3)

Therefore, the required conversion is:

2484 dm^3 x (0.1 m / 1 dm)^3 x (1 cm / 0.01 m)^3 x (1 in / 2.54 cm)^3

If you do the algebraic expansion and cancel the like units, you end up with:

  • 2484 x (0.1)^3 x (1/0.01)^3 x (1/2.54)^3 cubic inches

=
151,583 in^3
(which is the answer Asherah already provided)

Now, if you're a geek like me, you wonder how many cans of soda that is.

151,583 in^3 x (1.80 fl. oz / 1 in^3) x (1 can / 12 fl oz)

= 22,737 cans (Probably just an invented statistic, huh?)

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OK, thanks everyone for your help... Now I have to go farther than just the answer and make sure I figure it with the lowest sig figs (which I believe would be 4 correct??) and then put it in scientific notation... so my answer is:

1.516 X 10 5

Is that correct?? Thanks again for all of your help!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
OK, thanks everyone for your help... Now I have to go farther than just the answer and make sure I figure it with the lowest sig figs (which I believe would be 4 correct??) and then put it in scientific notation... so my answer is:

1.516 X 10 5

Is that correct?? Thanks again for all of your help!

Yes, there should be four significant figures. In multiplication/division, your answer can have no more significant figures than does the term with the fewest significant figures.

All of your conversions are exact conversions so they can have as many significant figures as you choose. Therefore, your initial "given" (2484?) has the fewest significant figures: Four

Yes, you've rounded correctly and the answer is 1.516 x 10^5

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