Dimensional

Analysis
Today you’ll learn about
Dimensional Analysis

• You will be able to use unit

analysis to help convert units
you are not used to using.
By the end of the lesson,
you will:

• Use dimensional analysis to convert units that

are used at the Port of Long Beach
• Change the length of ships from meters to
feet
• Calculate the number of TEUs on ships and
trains
CA Math Content Standard
Measurement and Geometry
7 1.3 Use measures expressed as rates and measures expressed as
person-days to solve problems; check the units of the solutions; and
use dimensional analysis to check the reasonableness of the answer.
Why Am I Learning This?

• So you can convert

between metric and
English measurements
• To learn about units used
at the Port
• In order to answer
questions on the CAHSEE
and the State CST tests
 Dimensional Analysis

is using unit analysis to help

make conversions from one unit
to another.
How tall are you?
Use dimensional analysis to convert the
units for this situation:

My height is five feet. What is my

height in inches?
Use dimensional analysis to write the
expression
to change the units for a situation.

There are five steps:

1. Read the situation. Identify the Write this
original units. in your
notes
2. Write the original units as a fraction.
3. Decide what is the conversion factor
for the new unit.
4. Be sure to set up the problem so the
original units will divide out.
5. Simplify the expression and divide out
the common units
Write in your notes...

Objective: I will be able to use dimensional analysis to

convert units

What are the steps 1. Read the situation. Identify the

to use dimensional original units.
analysis? 2. Write the original units as a
fraction.
3. Decide what is the conversion
factor for the new unit.
4. Be sure to set up the problem
so the original units will divide
out.
5. Simplify the expression and
divide out the common units
Step 1:
Read the problem and identify the
original units.

My height is five feet. What

is my height in inches?

Hint:
The units come after
the number.
Step 2:
Write the original units as a fraction.

My height is five feet. What

is my height in inches?

5 feet
1
Step 3:
Write multiplication symbol and draw the
fraction bar.

My height is five feet. What

is my height in inches?

5 feet
•
1
What is the conversion factor for
feet to inches?
Step 4:
Use the conversion factor in the
second fraction.

My height is five feet. What

is my height in inches?

5 feet 12 inches
•
1 1 foot
Write units in the second fraction so that the
original units divide out and leave the new unit.
Step 5:
Simplify the expression and divide
out the common units

My height is five feet. What

is my height in inches?

5 feet 12 inches 60 inches

• =
1 1 foot 1
Be sure the original units divide out.
Now let’s change your height
to meters.
Conversion Factor:
One foot is approximately 0.3 meters
Let’s convert feet to meters
using dimensional analysis

Write the given units.

5 feet
1
Let’s convert feet to meters
using dimensional analysis

Multiply by the conversion factor.

5 feet 0.3 meters
• = 1.5 meters
1 1 foot

5 • 0.3 = 1.5
A ship from China is measured in
meters but the Port of Long Beach
berths are measured in linear feet.
Conversion Factor:
One meter is approximately 3.3 feet
Change meters to
feet.
Let’s convert meters to feet
using dimensional analysis

Write the given units.

300 meters
1
Let’s convert meters to feet
using dimensional analysis

Multiply by the conversion factor.

300 meters 3.3 feet
• = 990 feet
1 1 meter

300 • 3.3 = 990

In pairs:
• Determine which partner will be
person A and which is person B
• Person A: Tell your partner what is
dimensional analysis?
• Person B: Tell your partner he or
she is correct, or tell your partner
the correct definition.

Dimensional analysis is using unit analysis to

help do conversions from one unit to the next.
Is this correct?
The Neptune Amber ship is 231 meters
long. To change this to feet you would
write the following expression.

231 meters 1 meter

•
1 3.3 feet
Don’t say the answer out loud,
wait for the count of three.
No
The original units did not divide out, you need to
reverse the second fraction.
I will pick a person at random to explain.
Partner Work
Compare your notes with a
partner.
Write in your notes...

Dimensional Analysis is using unit

What is dimensional analysis to help make conversions
analysis? from one unit to another.

The conversion factor is 1 foot =

How many inches 12 inches.
in five feet? 5 feet 12 inches
• = 60 inches
1 1 foot

How many meters 5 feet 0.3 m

• = 1.5 m
in five feet? 1 1 foot
Change gallons to barrels

Oil is sold in barrels.

One barrel of oil is 42 gallons.
How many barrels are in a tanker
truck that holds 11,000 gallons of oil?
 Oil is sold in barrels.
One barrel of oil is 42 gallons.
How many barrels are in a tanker truck
that holds 11,000 gallons of oil?
11,000 gallons 261.9 barrels
• 1 barrel
=
1 42 gallons 1

Be sure the original units divide out.

How many barrels are in an oil tanker
that holds 1.3 million gallons of oil?
(1 barrel = 42 gallons)
Write the expression only.
1,300,000 gallons
• 1 barrel

1 42 gallons

Be sure the original units divide out.

 Containerized Cargo
The Containers
The most
smaller onescome
common are infoot
are20
40 two sizes
footcontainers.
containers
Containerized cargo
A twenty-foot container

A forty-foot container
Containerized cargo
A twenty-foot container holds 320 of these
19-inch LCD TVs

8.6 ft holds 320

LCD TVs 8 ft
20 ft
A forty-foot container
40 ft
8 ft

8.6 ft
holds 640 LCD TVs
 Containerized cargo

• The amount a ship can hold is

measured in TEUs.
• 1 TEU is one twenty-foot
equivalent unit.
Containerized cargo
A twenty-foot container
1 TEU =
1 Twenty-foot
8.6 ft Equivalent Unit
8 ft
20 ft
A forty-foot container
40 ft
8 ft

8.6 ft
In pairs:
• Determine which partner will be
person A and which is person B
• Person A: Tell your partner what is
a TEU?
• Person B: Tell your partner he or
she is correct, or tell your partner
the correct definition.

A TEU is a one twenty-foot container.

Let’s convert 50 forty-foot
containers to TEUs

Write the given units.

50 forty - foot
1
Let’s convert 50 forty-foot
containers to TEUs

Multiply by the conversion factor.

50 forty - foot 2 TEUs
• = 100 TEUs
1 1 forty - foot

50 • 2 = 100
Try This One

How many TEU’s are in a 45-foot

container?

45 feet 1 TEU 1
• = 2 TEUs
1 20 feet 4

45 9
=
20 4
Try This One

A 20 feet container would be how many

meters long?
(One foot is approximately 0.3 meters.)

20 feet 0.3 meters

• = 6 meters
1 1 foot

20 • 0.3 = 6
Try This One
A train has 50 cars that hold forty-foot
containers. How many TEUs on the train?
(1 forty-foot container = 2 TEUs)

50 forty - foot 2 TEUs

• = 100 TEUs
1 1 forty - foot
50 • 2 = 100
Practice
1. A train has 100 forty-foot containers.
How many TEU’s are on the train?

2. The Hanjin Amsterdam will hold

5,618 TEU’s. How many forty-foot
containers on the ship?
Practice
1. A train has 100 forty-foot
containers. How many TEUs
are on the train?
Write the given units.

100 forty - foot 2 TEUs

• = 200 TEUs
1 1 forty - foot
Multiply by the conversion factor.
100 • 2 = 200 TEUs
Practice
2. The Hanjin Amsterdam will hold
5,618 TEUs. How many forty-foot
containers on the ship?
Write the given units.
5618 TEUs 1 forty - foot
• = 2809 forty-foot
1 2 TEUs containers

Multiply by the conversion factor.

5618 ÷ 2 = 2809 forty - foot containers

Fill In The Blank

The most important thing to remember

when using dimensional analysis is:

If you want to get rid of a unit from the

NUMERATOR, you need to put the
same unitDENOMINATOR
in the ______________ .
Independent Practice

Complete the Dimensional Analysis

Worksheet.
• First work alone
• Then compare answers with a partner
to decide the correct answer
• Finally, the teacher will select various
students to explain the problems