ABSTRACT
Units thus resemble sports officials: the only time you pay real attention to them is when something stupid happens.
Scientists lost a $125 million spacecraft as it approached Mars last week essentially because they confused feet and pounds with meters and kilograms,
Maximum Height: 11 ′3 ′′
Science
This chapter introduces two important topics: systems of units and significant figures. These topics often are considered too mundane to occupy lectures and, therefore, are left to students to learn on their own. In fact, most students and their teachers spend very little time on these topics. Consequently, they often cannot identify the proper units of a particular dimension, convert its value from one system of units to another, and express it with the proper number of significant figures. It cannot be over-emphasized that it is essential for a good scientist or engineer to have an excellent grasp of systems of units and significant figures.
