Still think that unit conversion isn't important? Here is a widely publicized, true story about how failing to convert units resulted in a huge loss. In 1998, the Mars Climate Orbiter probe crashed into the surface of Mars, instead of entering orbit. The resulting inguiry revealed that NASA navigators had been making minor course corrections in SI units, whereas the software written by the probe's makers implicitly used British units. In the United States, most scientists use Sl units, whereas most engineers use the British, or Imperial, system of units. (Interestingly, British units are not used in Britain.) For these two groups to be able to communicate to one another, unit conversions are necessary. The unit of force in the SI system is the newton (N), which is defined in terms of basic Sl units as 1 N=1 kg · m/s?. The unit of force in the British system is the pound (lb), which is defined in terms of the slug (British unit of mass), foot (ft), and second (s) as 1 lb =1 slug · ft/s?. Part B Find the value of 15.0 N in pounds. Use the conversions 1 slug = 14.59 kg and 1 ft = 0.3048 m. Express your answer in pounds to three significant figures.

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Technology Update (No access codes included)
9th Edition
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Author:Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
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Chapter1: Physics And Measurement
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1.29P
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Still think that unit conversion isn't important?
Here is a widely publicized, true story about how failing to convert units resulted in a huge loss. In 1998, the Mars Climate Orbiter probe crashed into the surface of Mars,
instead of entering orbit. The resulting inguiry revealed that NASA navigators had been making minor course corrections in SI units, whereas the software written by the
probe's makers implicitly used British units. In the United States, most scientists use Sl units, whereas most engineers use the British, or Imperial, system of units.
(Interestingly, British units are not used in Britain.) For these two groups to be able to communicate to one another, unit conversions are necessary.
The unit of force in the SI system is the newton (N), which is defined in terms of basic Sl units as 1 N=1 kg · m/s?. The unit of force in the British system is the pound
(lb), which is defined in terms of the slug (British unit of mass), foot (ft), and second (s) as 1 lb =1 slug · ft/s?.
Part B
Find the value of 15.0 N in pounds. Use the conversions 1 slug = 14.59 kg and 1 ft = 0.3048 m.
Express your answer in pounds to three significant figures.
Transcribed Image Text:Still think that unit conversion isn't important? Here is a widely publicized, true story about how failing to convert units resulted in a huge loss. In 1998, the Mars Climate Orbiter probe crashed into the surface of Mars, instead of entering orbit. The resulting inguiry revealed that NASA navigators had been making minor course corrections in SI units, whereas the software written by the probe's makers implicitly used British units. In the United States, most scientists use Sl units, whereas most engineers use the British, or Imperial, system of units. (Interestingly, British units are not used in Britain.) For these two groups to be able to communicate to one another, unit conversions are necessary. The unit of force in the SI system is the newton (N), which is defined in terms of basic Sl units as 1 N=1 kg · m/s?. The unit of force in the British system is the pound (lb), which is defined in terms of the slug (British unit of mass), foot (ft), and second (s) as 1 lb =1 slug · ft/s?. Part B Find the value of 15.0 N in pounds. Use the conversions 1 slug = 14.59 kg and 1 ft = 0.3048 m. Express your answer in pounds to three significant figures.
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