MEASURING MADNESS

Did you know that the United States and Europe use many different units of measure? For example, the two regions make use of different units for things like distance, money,

temperature, dimensions (width, height, depth),

weight, and volume.

Because of these differences, life in Spain can sometimes be difficult for your language assistant, Kathryn. Please use your math skills to help her! You will need to use the conversion factors provided by your teacher.

MEASURING MADNESS

1. DistanceKathryn is starting to feel homesick, since she lives very far away from her home. After searching online, she finds out that there are approximately 4,080 miles (mi) between Saint Paul, Minnesota and Tineo.

However, when she tells this to her Spanish friends, they don't understand her!Can you help her convert this distance to kilometers (km)?

?

Solution: 4080 mi / 1.6 mi/km = 6528 km

2. MoneyKathryn needs to purchase a plane ticket to fly home for the summer. She finds a flight from Oviedo to London for 85€, and a flight from London to Minneapolis for £480. However, she would like to determine the cost of her travels in her native currency. What will be the total cost of Kathryn's trip in U.S. dollars ($)?

?

Solution: Oviedo-London: 85 € x 1.3138 $/€ = 111.67 $

Lo-Min: 480 £ / 0.8532 £/€ = 562.59 € ; 562.59 € x 1.3138 $/€ = 739.13 $111.67 $ + 739.13 $ = 850.80 $

3. TemperatureBrrr! It is getting chilly in Tineo. Kathryn looks at the weather forecast and sees that it will be 0°C (Celsius) next week.

But when she tells this to her parents in Minnesota, they say, "That's nothing! It's 2°F (Fahrenheit) here!" How much colder is it in Minnesota than Tineo? Calculate the difference in both Celsius and Fahrenheit degrees.

?

Solution: 0ºC = 9/5 x 0 + 32 = 32ºF 30ºF more in Tineo 2ºF = 5/9 x (2-32) ≈ -17ºC 17ºC less in

Minnesota

4. Dimensions and WeightKathryn will take a Ryanair flight to visit her friend Bianca in Huelva. To avoid paying checked baggage fees of 40€ per bag, she would like to bring only a carry-on suitcase (one piece of cabin baggage).

Ryanair's website tells her that her suitcase must be no bigger than 55 x 40 x 20 centimeters (cm), and that it cannot weigh more than 10 kilograms (kg). Because she is American, these measures make no sense to her! She has a bag that measures 19.3 x 10.4 x 7.7 inches (in). It weighs 19.7 pounds (lb). Help Kathryn figure out if her bag meets Ryanair's standards by converting these American measures to centimeters (cm) and kilograms (kg).

?

Solution: 19.3 x 10.4 x 7.7 in ≈ 49.02 x 26.42 x 19.6 cm

OK! 19.7 lb ≈ 8.94 kg OK!

5. VolumeOn Thanksgiving Day, Kathryn would like to make a traditional American pumpkin pie to share with her students. However, she forgot to buy milk at the store and only has 200 milliliters (ml) in her fridge. Her recipe from the United States calls for 6 fluid ounces (fl oz) or ¾ cup. Does she have enough milk to make the pie?

?

Solution: 200 ml x 0.0338 fl oz / ml = 6.76 fl oz

BONUS QUESTIONS

If you finished, good job! Thanks for helping out your language assistant! Here are some other fun things you can do to practice conversions:

1. Many people in the United States enjoy running marathons, which are races of 26.2 miles (mi). How far are these races in kilometers (km)? Do you have any desire to run one?

BONUS QUESTIONS

2. Imagine that you are a millionaire in the United States. That is, you have $1,000,000.00. If you move to Europe and convert your money to euros (€), will you be considered a millionaire there as well?

BONUS QUESTIONS

3. The average February temperature in Asturias is 8°C (Celsius). The average February temperature in Minnesota is 13°F (Fahrenheit). Calculate the difference between these two averages, in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. Do you think that Minnesotans are crazy for living where they do?

BONUS QUESTIONS

4. Express your height the American way, as a combination of feet (ft) and inches (in). For example, Ricky Rubio is 6 feet 4 inches tall. Next, figure out how tall Pau Gasol is in feet (ft) and inches (in). In Europe, his height is given as 2.13 meters (m). Who is taller: you, or Pau Gasol? How much taller is he than you? Give your answer in both centimeters (cm) and inches (in).

BONUS QUESTIONS

5. You read that the average daily coffee consumption of someone in the United States is 3.2 cups or 25.6 fluid ounces (fl oz). Spanish coffee might be stronger than American coffee, but it is often served in very small quantities! How many small servings of Spanish coffee of approximately 50 milliliters (ml) each are equivalent to an average American's daily coffee consumption?