When multiplying conversion factors, make sure the only remaining units are the desired units.
About 0.9c/s, see solution.
Practice makes perfect
We want to express 3.5 gallons per minute in cups per second.
3.5 gal/min= c/s
This means that we need to change gallons per minute into cups per second. Let's start by organizing the relationships between the units in a table.
Starting Unit
Converted Unit
Unit Ratio
1 gallon
16 cups
16c/1gal
1 min
60 s
60s/1min
To perform this conversion, we need to multiply the given value in gallons per minute by each unit ratio or its reciprocal. Remember, we want to arrange these ratios such that every unit we do not want gets canceled out, and only the units that we want will remain.
We found that the oil tanker empties at about 0.9 cup per second.
Extra
Common Conversion Factors
Use the following tool to explore some of the most commonly used conversion factors. Conversions can be made both within or between the metric system and the imperial system, also known as the U.S. Customary System.
Around the world, people use conversion factors on a regular basis. You can read more about some practical applications of conversion factors in our original content.
