Question

How do you complete the following metric conversion problem: 3.5 mg = ? `mu`g?

Answer 1

`3.5*mg-=3500*mug`. Why and how?

Explanation:

`1*mg=1xx10^-3*g`

`1*mug=1xx10^-6*g`

`3.5*mg=(3.5xx10^-3*cancelg)/(10^-6*cancelg*mug^-1)`

`=10^6xx3.5xx10^-3*mug=3.5xx10^3xxcancel(10^3)xxcancel(10^-3)mug`

`=3500*mug`.

Just a note on the arithmetic, `1/10^-3-=1/(1/10^3)=1/(1/1000)=1000`. Why? Because there are a `"thousands"` `"one thousandths"` in `"one"`. Confused yet? If you don't see it, then try it on a calculator.

If you can get your head around this, you can get your head around the conversion. Good luck.