why is it essential that all measurements be accompanied by appropriate units?
2007-09-10 14:29:43 · 2 answers · asked by lippypout 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
So that you don't try to do things such as add meters to seconds, or liters to kilograms. Also, things such as acceleration (which has the units of m/s²) pretty much tell you how to calculate with them. You can look at how the dimensions come out and tell if you've set up an equation correctly. It's called 'dimensional analysis' and it's a pity it isn't stressed more.
Doug
2007-09-10 14:36:24 · answer #1 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A measurement is basicly meaningless without any units.
If I told you an object's length is 6, you'd still have no idea how big it is. Is it about as big as a person (as in 6 FEET)? Is it vastly larger than a person (6 miles or 6 km)? Is it considerably smaller than a person, as in 6 inches or 6 cm? Is it microscopic (6 nanometers) or astronomical (6 light years)?
2007-09-10 16:19:22 · answer #2 · answered by genericman1998 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋