Factor Labeling and Problem Solving
As a high school student, physics seemed impossible to understand. The concept, factor Labeling and Metric Conversions, felt like walking through a series of mazes that seemed never-ending. That was before I started to get the hang of this newly taught skill. Factor labeling is the ability to convert simple things such as grams to kilograms and miles to feet in various ways.
For example, problem #3 from the Factor labeling and problem solving worksheet my classmates and I were given in class states: Your cross country skies are 210 cm long. What is their length in feet?
210 cm ( 1 in. / 2.54 cm. ) ( 1 ft. / 12in. ) = 6.89 ft.
* Basically, in order to answer this simple question I wrote that I should convert 210 centimeters to inches then to feet. In order to do this properly, I aligned 210 cm with 2.54 cm as a denominator because they will cancel out. Then I aligned my new conversion to 12 inches because they will also cancel out. Finally I get my answer at 6.89 ft. Simple mathematics was the only necessity I needed to get factor labeling done. Not only that, but memorizing the metric conversion system, King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk (Kilo, Hecto, Deka, Base Unit, Deci, Centi and Milli) made it even more simpler to do factor labeling.
For the most challenging factor labeling problem on the worksheet given, I had to combine all the knowledge of my skills to answer correctly. The following problem states:
-You are watching a game at Yankee stadium and Derek Jeter hits a home run. Your friend is watching the game in Boston, 219 miles away from Yankee stadium. If the speed of light is 3.0*10/\8 m/s how long after you see the home run will your friend hear about it on the radio?
219 miles (1.61 km. / 1 mile) (1000 meters / 1 km.) (1 s. / 3.o*10/\8 m.) = .0018 seconds.
*Again, using the same method as the previous, more simpler question, I aligned miles to miles, kilometers to kilometers, meters to meters and seconds to seconds. I only placed 1 where the unit is larger than the other. In this example, a mile is greater than a kilometer. Plus, miles cancel because it is in the denominator. Another example would be meter and kilometers. Clearly, kilometers is greater than meters so I proceed to place one as the denominator for this situation also being careful to see whether or not it is in the right place for cancellation.
In conclusion, the problem set I have mastered is factor labeling. Like my teacher has stated before, this is a skill and not a concept that you can memorize overnight. It takes time and practice with extra hard effort because in all honesty not everyone can solve problems like these. However, as time drags by this skill proceeds to become easier and it gives me a new opportunity to use it whenever I need it. I have mastered factor labeling. Have you?
For example, problem #3 from the Factor labeling and problem solving worksheet my classmates and I were given in class states: Your cross country skies are 210 cm long. What is their length in feet?
210 cm ( 1 in. / 2.54 cm. ) ( 1 ft. / 12in. ) = 6.89 ft.
* Basically, in order to answer this simple question I wrote that I should convert 210 centimeters to inches then to feet. In order to do this properly, I aligned 210 cm with 2.54 cm as a denominator because they will cancel out. Then I aligned my new conversion to 12 inches because they will also cancel out. Finally I get my answer at 6.89 ft. Simple mathematics was the only necessity I needed to get factor labeling done. Not only that, but memorizing the metric conversion system, King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk (Kilo, Hecto, Deka, Base Unit, Deci, Centi and Milli) made it even more simpler to do factor labeling.
For the most challenging factor labeling problem on the worksheet given, I had to combine all the knowledge of my skills to answer correctly. The following problem states:
-You are watching a game at Yankee stadium and Derek Jeter hits a home run. Your friend is watching the game in Boston, 219 miles away from Yankee stadium. If the speed of light is 3.0*10/\8 m/s how long after you see the home run will your friend hear about it on the radio?
219 miles (1.61 km. / 1 mile) (1000 meters / 1 km.) (1 s. / 3.o*10/\8 m.) = .0018 seconds.
*Again, using the same method as the previous, more simpler question, I aligned miles to miles, kilometers to kilometers, meters to meters and seconds to seconds. I only placed 1 where the unit is larger than the other. In this example, a mile is greater than a kilometer. Plus, miles cancel because it is in the denominator. Another example would be meter and kilometers. Clearly, kilometers is greater than meters so I proceed to place one as the denominator for this situation also being careful to see whether or not it is in the right place for cancellation.
In conclusion, the problem set I have mastered is factor labeling. Like my teacher has stated before, this is a skill and not a concept that you can memorize overnight. It takes time and practice with extra hard effort because in all honesty not everyone can solve problems like these. However, as time drags by this skill proceeds to become easier and it gives me a new opportunity to use it whenever I need it. I have mastered factor labeling. Have you?