We have a review page for chemistry and it's got conversion problems on it, like 0.75kg to milligrams. I know how to do them by simply moving the decimal, but I checked my first answer and I think we have to do it mathematically. If I do it by just moving the decimal, don't I still get the same answer?? I am SO confused!!
......Ok. for 0.75 kilograms to milligrams, I moved the decimal to make it correct (I think). I have .00000075 but the answer says it should be 7.5x10^5 which means moving the decimal the OTHER way, I thought! So that would be 750,000. But it just doesn't make any sense!
Here's what she wrote:
.75kg x (10^6mg/1kg) = mg
Obviously, chemistry isn't one of my strengths...
If you can help, I would really appreciate it!!! :( I have a test tomorrow and I really don't want to fail.
Thanks.
2007-09-27 15:35:52 · 2 answers · asked by ? 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
if you're just going to move the decimal, you should be moving it to the left, not the right, since you're converting to a smaller unit. you move it to the right if you're converting to a larger unit. the answer's 750, 000.
2007-09-27 15:44:20 · answer #1 · answered by Lesley V. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
miligrams are much smaller than kg. So in your case. 1 gram has 1,000 mg. and 1 kg. has 1,000,000 mg. or 1 x10E6 mg.
So to convert 0.75 kg to mg., you indeed have to multiply by 1 x 10E6 mg / kg.
2007-09-27 22:40:15 · answer #2 · answered by reb1240 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋