Question

How would you convert 3598 grams into pounds?

Answer 1

You use the conversion factor that relates grams and pounds.

A conversion factor is a fraction that represents the relationship between two different units. A conversion factor is ALWAYS equal to 1.

You know that 1 lb = 453.592 g

Thus, the conversion factor is either

`(453.592"g")/(1"lb")` or `(1"lb")/(453.592"g")`

You use whichever one gives you the correct units for the answer, because each conversion factor equals 1.

For your problem, we would write

3598 g × `(1"lb")/(453.592"g")` = "7.932 24 lb" = 7.932 lb (4 significant figures)

Notice that you use the conversion factor with "g" on the bottom. This makes the units cancel and gives an answer with the units of "lb".

Hope this helps.