Question

If a truck driver were calculating the distance needed to get from one location to another, why is it important that he correctly convert from the U.S. to the metric system? Give a specific example of the errors that could occur if the driver fails to do this.

Answer 1

This is a very subjective question...

I could make it funny. Or horrifying. Or both!

100 gallons of acetylene that needs to be keep cryogenic to -119\(^o\)F if at normal pressure (it's being pressurized so it doesn't have to be kept this cold). It occupies a space of 14.5 cu.ft./lb @ 60 F. Pure acetylene under pressure in excess of about 15 pounds per square inch or in liquid or solid form explodes with extreme violence. Not thinking about it at filling station they pump in 100 liters at -119\(^o\)C. As the truck drives down the road the acetylene turns from compressed liquid back into gas at it warms up. When pressure reaches the critical point the truck begins to leak. A careless wiring short causes a spark every time the left blinker is flashing. Boom! A bus full of children in the right hand lane next to the truck gets blown into oblivion and lands in scrap metal pieces nearly 3 miles (4.828032 kilometers) away in a farm field. No bodies are found, they've all be vaporized by the severity of the blast.

>:-3

Answer 2

Seriously though, there's not really a wrong answer to this as long as you compare units

Answer 3

Particularly freezing, melting, structural force limits, flashpoint, distances, and stuff like that