Consider the formula that relates distance, velocity, and time (d = vt). If you are interested in the time it takes for a snail traveling at a speed of 2 centimeters per second to crawl up a 1-meter section of a wall, which unit conversion makes the most sense to use?

Question

Converting meters to centimeters by dividing 1 meter by 100 centimeters.
Converting meters to centimeters by multiplying 1 meter by 100.
Converting meters to centimeters by multiplying 1 meter by (1 meter)/(100 centimeters)
Converting meters to centimeters by multiplying 1 meter by (100 centimeters)/(1 meter)

Answer 1

To find the time it takes for a snail traveling at 2 centimeters per second to crawl up a 1-meter section of a wall, you first need to ensure that the units are consistent.

Since the snail's speed is given in centimeters per second, it makes sense to convert the distance (1 meter) into centimeters.

1 meter = 100 centimeters.

In terms of unit conversions, the most appropriate option is:

Converting meters to centimeters by multiplying 1 meter by 100.

This conversion gives you the equivalent of 1 meter in centimeters directly, which would then allow you to use the formula $d=vt$ correctly by ensuring both distance (d) and velocity (v) are in the same unit (centimeters).

Thus:

• Distance in centimeters = 1 meter × 100 = 100 centimeters.
• Then, using the formula $t=\frac{d}{v}$, where $d=100\text{ cm}$ and $v=2\text{ cm/s}$, you can calculate the time $t$.

So, the correct unit conversion to use is the second option:

Converting meters to centimeters by multiplying 1 meter by 100.