The length of the highway is 2500 miles. If 1 inch represents 150 miles, what is the length of the highway on the map?

8 answers

1 inch ----> 150 miles
x inches ----> 2500 miles

now it is soooo easy to form the proportion:
1/x = 150/2500
150x = 2500
x = 50/3 or 16 2/3
2500 miles * ( 1 inch / 150 miles) = 250/15 = 50/3 = 16.7 inches
You just saw how the mathematician does it and how the physicist does it :)
some wise guy once said:
Without math there would be no physics
without physics there would be no need for math
I remember taking physics in high school, and being amazed that the units could be included in the calculations, and they canceled just like numeric factors!
thankyou
And some very unusual units can be created, like in this question
1 inch/x inches = 150 miles/2500 miles
150x inchmiles = 2500 inchmiles
divide by inchmiles
150x = 2500
Yes, it helps when you have a whole string of them as we often do :)