Ch.2 Chemistry and Measurements

Timberlake - Chemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 14th Edition

Timberlake14th EditionChemistry: An Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological ChemistryISBN: 9781292472249Not the one you use?Change textbook

Timberlake 14th Edition

Ch.2 Chemistry and Measurements

Problem 43c

Chapter 2, Problem 43c

For each of the following pairs, which is the larger unit?
c. m or km

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the units: 'm' stands for meters, which is the base unit of length in the metric system, and 'km' stands for kilometers, which is a larger unit of length in the metric system.

Recall the relationship between meters and kilometers: 1 kilometer (km) is equal to 1000 meters (m). This means that a kilometer is a larger unit compared to a meter.

Compare the two units: Since 1 km = 1000 m, a kilometer represents a much larger distance than a single meter.

Conclude that the larger unit in this pair is the kilometer (km).

If needed, you can visualize this by thinking of a kilometer as the distance you might walk in about 10-15 minutes, while a meter is roughly the length of a large step.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.

Video duration:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Metric System

The metric system is an internationally recognized decimal system of measurement based on the meter, kilogram, and second. It is designed to provide a standard for measuring length, mass, and time, making conversions straightforward. Understanding the metric system is essential for comparing different units of measurement, such as centimeters (cm) and kilometers (km).

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion involves changing a measurement from one unit to another, which is crucial for comparing sizes of different units. In this case, converting centimeters to kilometers requires knowledge of the relationship between these units, specifically that 1 kilometer equals 100,000 centimeters. This concept helps in determining which unit is larger.

Magnitude of Units

The magnitude of units refers to the scale or size represented by different measurement units. In the context of length, kilometers represent larger distances compared to centimeters. Recognizing the relative magnitudes of these units is key to answering questions about which is larger, as it allows for a clear understanding of their differences.

Recommended video:

Guided course