Question

How can you find the relative mass of an object given the mass in grams? For example quarters, nickels, dimes etc.

Answer 1

You divide the mass of the object by the mass of the comparison object.

Explanation:

Relative values

Let's take an easy example. What are the relative values of quarters, dimes, nickels in terms of cents?

You divide every value by the value of a cent. Then,

`"Quarters:dimes:nickels:cents" = "25 ¢":"10 ¢":"5 ¢":"1 ¢" = "25 ¢"/"1 ¢":"10 ¢"/"1 ¢":"5 ¢"/"1 ¢":"1 ¢"/"1 ¢"= 25:10:5:1`

The result tells us that the relative value of a quarter is 25 times that of a cent, a dime has ten times the relative value, and a nickel has five times the relative value.

Relative mass

Let's say that the masses of these coins are: quarter = 5.67 g; dime = 2.27 g; nickel = 5.00 g; penny = 2.50 g.

What are the masses of these coins relative to the mass of a dime?

We get

`"Quarters:dimes:nickels:cents" = "5.67 g":"2.27 g":"5.00 g":"2.50 g"`

`= "5.67 g"/"2.27 g":"2.27 g"/"2.27 g":"5.00 g"/"2.27 g":"2.50 g"/"2.27 g"= 2.50:1:2.20:1.10`

Thus, compared to a dime, the relative masses are: quarter = 2.50, nickel = 2.20, and cent = 1.10.