Converting units of measurement

• Natuurkunde / Scheikunde
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Converting units of measurement 

Schedule for this lesson

Explanation about converting units

Practicing converting different units of measurement

Playing the conversion game

Learning objectives

You are able to convert different units of measurement

Converting 

In physics we use a lot of different units of measurement

For distances we use meters (m)

For time we use seconds (s)

For mass we use kilograms (kg)

And for surface areas (oppervlakten) we use square meters (m²)

(there are also weird units like scoville or the banana equivalent dose, which we won't be using)

Converting 

Sometimes a physics question will give you some information about a quantity which isn't in the right unit yet 

Distances could be given in centimeters

Time could be given in hours

Mass could be given in grams

But we are able to convert these units!

Converting distances

Converting distances

Practice converting these distances

1. 38 m to km

2. 950mm to dam

3. 0.04 hm to dm

4. 560 m to mm

5. 0,08km to mm

• = 0,038 km 
• = 0,095 dam
• = 40 cm
• = 560000 mm
• = 80000

Converting mass

For a lot of units

we are able to use the

same ladder

The only thing that changes 

is the base unit

Converting mass

Practice converting these masses 

1. 50 mg to g

2. 0,4 hg to dg

3. 1050 cg to kg

• =  0,05 g
• = 400 dg
• = 0,0105kg

Converting surface area

Some units use the same 

ladder, but are squared 

So every step on the ladder

is not divided or multiplied

by 10, but by 100

(because 10² = 100)

Converting surface area

Practice converting these surface areas

1. 10 m² to dm²

2. 5000mm² to m²

3. 0,08km² to dam²

• =  1000 dm²
• = 0.005m²
• = 800dam²

Converting time

Lastly time. 

Time uses yet another conversion table

With different steps depending on what you are converting

Converting time

Practice converting time

1. 8 hours to seconds

2. 222 minutes to hours

3. 3,8 days to seconds

4. 15325 seconds to hours

5. 0,7 weeks to minutes

• =  28800 s
• = 3,7h
• = 328320s
• = 4.256h
• = 7056 min

Playing the conversion game

End of the lesson