CONVERSION OF UNITS

Mechanical Power Measure

CONVERSION OF UNITS - continued

Engineering Aid 3 - Beginning Structural engineering guide book
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CONVERSION OF UNITS To convert a measure expressed in terms of one unit to the equivalent in terms of a different unit is, when you know the ratio between the units, a simple proportional equation problem. Suppose, for example, that you want to convert a linear distance in engineer’s measure (feet and decimals of feet) to the equivalent in carpenter’s measure (feet and twelfths of feet) to the nearest one-eighth in. Suppose that the original distance is 12.65 ft. This means “12 ft and 65 hundredths of a foot.” You want to determine first, then, how many twelfths of a foot there are in 65 hundredths of a foot. The original ratio is 12/100. The proportional equation solution is as follows: Therefore, there are 7.8 in. (twelfths of a foot) in 0.65 ft. The next step is to determine how many eighths of an in. there are in 0.8 in.; that is, in eight-tenths of an in. The initial ratio is 8/10, and the proportional equation solution is as follows: Therefore, there are (rounded off) 6/8 in,, or 3/4 in., in 0.8 in. In 12.65 ft, then, there are 12 ft 7 3/4 in. to the nearest 1/8 in. Actually, the proportional method used above can be simplified by using the following solution: Convert 12.65 ft to the nearest 1/8 in. in carpenter’s measure. 12.65 ft = 12 ft + (0.65 x 12 = 7.8 in,) – 12 ft 7.8 in. — = 12 ft 7.0 in. + (0.8 x 8 = 6.4 eighths) = 12 ft 7.0 in. + 6/8 in. or 3/4 in. to the nearest eighth in. = 12 ft 7 3/4 in. In converting from linear measure, or vice engineer’s to carpenter’s versa, surveyors working with values to only the nearest 0.01 ft fre- quently use the following conversions to decimal equivalents of inches from 1 through 11 and decimal equivalents of the common carpenter’s- measure subdivisions of the inch. 1 in. = 0.08 ft 2 in. = 0.17 ft 3 in. = 0.25 ft 4 in. = 0.33 ft 5 in. = 0.42 ft 6 in. = 0.50 ft 7 in. = 0.58 ft 8 in. = 0.67 ft 9 in. = 0.75 ft 10 in. = 0.83 ft 11 in, = 0.92 ft 1 – in. = 0.01 ft 8 Using these values, you can convert decimals of a foot to inches carpenter’s measure, or inches carpenter’s measure to decimals of a foot, very easily. To convert (for example) 0.37 ft to inches carpenter’s measure, you have the following: 1-34

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