Page 416 - Basic College Mathematics with Early Integers

S E C T I O N 5.4 I LENGTH: U.S. AND METRIC SYSTEMS OF MEASUREMENT 393

Example 12 Multiply 5.7 mm by 4. PRACTICE 12

Multiply 18.3 hm by 5.
Solution: Here we simply multiply the two numbers. Note that the unit of
measurement remains the same.
5.7 mm
* 4
22.8 mm

Work Practice 12

Example 13 Finding a Person’s Height PRACTICE 13

A child was 55 centimeters at
Fritz Martinson was 1.2 meters tall on his last birthday. Since then, he has grown
birth. Her adult height was
14 centimeters. Find his current height in meters.
1.72 meters. Find how much she
Solution: grew from birth to adult height.
original height : 1.20 m
+ height grown : + 0.14 m (Since 14 cm = 0.14 m)
current height 1.34 m
Fritz is now 1.34 meters tall.

Work Practice 13

Example 14 Finding a Crocodile’s Length PRACTICE 14

A newly hatched Nile crocodile averages 26 centimeters in length. This type of Doris Blackwell is knitting a
crocodile normally grows 4.74 meters to reach its adult length. What is the adult scarf that is currently 0.8 meter
length of this type of crocodile? long. If she knits an additional
45 centimeters, how long will
Solution: the scarf be?
original length : 0.26 m 1Since 26 cm = 0.26 m2
+ length grown : + 4.74 m
adult length 5.00 m
The adult length is 5 meters.

Work Practice 14

Answers
12. 91.5 hm 13. 117 cm or 1.17 m
14. 125 cm or 1.25 m