Appendix A. Fundamentals of Science
Homework Problem Solving
5. Make assumptions, if necessary, for any unknowns for which you have no equations. Clearly state your assumptions and verify them.
8. Check your answer. Is it logical. If the solved units donít match the desired units of the unknown, then either a mistake was made, or unit conversion might be needed. Also, certain functions such as ělnî and ěexpî require arguments that are dimensionless, while trig functions, like ěsineî need an argument in degrees or radians.
7 basic dimensions, 2 supplementary dimensions.
Supplementary dimensions
Notice Tables A-3 (Derived Dimensinos) and A-4 (Prefixes)
Unit Conversion
Suppose you donít know the equivalent of 1 unit in another set of units. E.g. suppose you donít know how much 1 lb/in2 is in units of millibars.
This works as long as each set of units has the same zero point. If they have different zero points, an adjustment must be made.
So, we add 32 degrees to the answer.
Functions and Finite Difference
D means ěa change in.î
Relationships and Graphs
Linear, Logrithmic, Exponential
One can get a good idea of the equation which fits a set a data points simply by the type of graph on which the plotted data produces a straight line.
Semi-Log Paper
This is a log-log graph.
If we take the logarithm of both sides we get: in which we can see is the equation for a straight line of y-intercept log a, and slope of b. From the graph, y-intercept = 2.5
Problems: Units Matrix handout, N1, U4 (note: N1 is asking for the conversion values. U4 is asking for the answers to be in the basic SI units).
Email: alcorn@ariel.met.tamu.edu
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