What is the purpose of dividing the height by 1000?

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In summary, the height is divided by 1000 in order to convert the units from Pa to kPa. The equation in the example problem is poorly written and could have been clearer if parentheses were used or if they multiplied by 1.
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aaronfue
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Why is the height "/1000"?

Homework Statement



In the attached example problem, why did the height, originally in millimeters then converted to meters, be divided by 1000?

Note: This is a thermodynamics related question? Or at least from a thermo textbook.

I thought that the units were fine when using 0.750 m.
 

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The equation is poorly written, IMO. The /1000 at the end is to convert from Pa to kPa. It's not an attempt to convert mm to m, since they did that with the 750mm = 0.750m already. If they would have put parens around the whole numerator, that would have made it a bit clearer. Better yet, they should have used parens, and then multiplied by 1: 1 = 1kPa/1000Pa
 
Question 1:

Why is the height/1000 used in scientific measurements?

The height/1000 is commonly used in scientific measurements because it allows for easier conversion between different units of measurement. For example, when measuring the height of a mountain, it may be more convenient to express it in kilometers rather than meters. By dividing the height by 1000, we can easily convert the measurement to kilometers.

Question 2:

How does dividing by 1000 affect the accuracy of a measurement?

Dividing by 1000 does not affect the accuracy of a measurement as long as the decimal point is properly placed. In scientific notation, the number of decimal places indicates the level of precision, so dividing by 1000 simply shifts the decimal point without changing the precision of the measurement.

Question 3:

Why is the number 1000 commonly used for conversion in scientific measurements?

The number 1000 is commonly used for conversion in scientific measurements because it is a multiple of 10, which makes it easy to work with in the metric system. It also allows for easy conversion between units of measurement such as meters to kilometers, grams to kilograms, and liters to kiloliters.

Question 4:

Does dividing by 1000 always result in a smaller unit of measurement?

No, dividing by 1000 does not always result in a smaller unit of measurement. This depends on the original unit of measurement and the desired unit of measurement. For example, dividing 1000 millimeters by 1000 would result in 1 meter, which is a larger unit of measurement.

Question 5:

Is dividing by 1000 necessary for all scientific measurements?

No, dividing by 1000 is not necessary for all scientific measurements. It is typically used when converting between different units of measurement or when expressing large or small quantities in a more manageable form. In some cases, dividing by 100 or 10000 may be more appropriate for conversion purposes.

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