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Exercises · 1.1

Q.Fill in the blanks:

(a) The volume of a cube of side 1 cm is equal to ..... m3\text{m}^3.
(b) The surface area of a solid cylinder of radius 2.0 cm2.0\ \text{cm} and height 10.0 cm10.0\ \text{cm} is equal to ... (mm)2(\text{mm})^2.
(c) A vehicle moving with a speed of 18 km h−118\ \text{km h}^{-1} covers .... m in 1 s.
(d) The relative density of lead is 11.3. Its density is .... g cm−3\text{g cm}^{-3} or .... kg m−3\text{kg m}^{-3}.
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✓ Free question

The key idea is to convert units systematically using conversion factors, while respecting significant figures.

  1. 1 cm3=10−6 m31\ \text{cm}^3 = 10^{-6}\ \text{m}^3
  2. surface area =1.5×104 (mm)2= 1.5 \times 10^4\ (\text{mm})^2
  3. 18 km/h=5 m/s18\ \text{km/h} = 5\ \text{m/s}
  4. density of lead =11.3 g/cm3=1.13×104 kg/m3= 11.3\ \text{g/cm}^3 = 1.13 \times 10^4\ \text{kg/m}^3.

The Concept: Unit Conversion with Significant Figures

Every measurement has a number and a unit. To convert between units, you multiply by a conversion factor — a fraction equal to 1 (e.g., 1 m/100 cm=11\ \text{m} / 100\ \text{cm} = 1). The trick is to arrange the factor so the old unit cancels and the new unit remains.

But there’s a second layer: significant figures. The given numbers (1 cm, 2.0 cm, 10.0 cm, 18 km/h, 11.3) tell you how many digits are reliable. Your answer should not pretend to be more precise than the data. For example, “1 cm” has 1 significant figure, so 1 cm31\ \text{cm}^3 is exactly 1 cm31\ \text{cm}^3 — but when we convert, we keep the result as 10−6 m310^{-6}\ \text{m}^3 (which is exact, since 1 cm = 0.01 m exactly). For parts (b) and (d), the given numbers have 2 or 3 significant figures, so the answer must match.

Let’s go through each part.


(a) Volume of a cube of side 1 cm

Step 1: Volume in cm³

A cube of side 1 cm1\ \text{cm} has volume V=(1 cm)3=1 cm3V = (1\ \text{cm})^3 = 1\ \text{cm}^3.

Step 2: Convert cm to m

We know 1 cm=10−2 m1\ \text{cm} = 10^{-2}\ \text{m}. So 1 cm3=(10−2 m)3=10−6 m31\ \text{cm}^3 = (10^{-2}\ \text{m})^3 = 10^{-6}\ \text{m}^3.

That’s it. The conversion is exact because the definition of “centi” is exact. No significant figure issue here — the answer is simply 10−6 m310^{-6}\ \text{m}^3.

Tip

When converting cubic units, cube the conversion factor: (conversion factor)3(\text{conversion factor})^3. For area, square it.


(b) Surface area of a solid cylinder: radius 2.0 cm2.0\ \text{cm}, height 10.0 cm10.0\ \text{cm}

Step 1: Formula for total surface area

A solid cylinder has two circular ends and a curved side.

Total surface area S=2πr2+2πrh=2πr(r+h)S = 2\pi r^2 + 2\pi r h = 2\pi r (r + h).

Step 2: Plug in values (in cm)

r=2.0 cmr = 2.0\ \text{cm}, h=10.0 cmh = 10.0\ \text{cm}.

S=2π(2.0)(2.0+10.0)=2π(2.0)(12.0)=2π×24.0=48.0π cm2S = 2\pi (2.0)(2.0 + 10.0) = 2\pi (2.0)(12.0) = 2\pi \times 24.0 = 48.0\pi\ \text{cm}^2.

Step 3: Significant figures

Both 2.02.0 and 10.010.0 have 2 significant figures. So 48.048.0 has 3 digits, but the product 48.0π48.0\pi should be reported with 2 significant figures because the least precise input has 2.

48.0π≈150.796...48.0\pi \approx 150.796... — rounding to 2 significant figures gives 1.5×102 cm21.5 \times 10^2\ \text{cm}^2.

Step 4: Convert cm² to mm²

1 cm=10 mm1\ \text{cm} = 10\ \text{mm}, so 1 cm2=(10 mm)2=100 mm21\ \text{cm}^2 = (10\ \text{mm})^2 = 100\ \text{mm}^2.

Thus S=1.5×102 cm2×100 mm2cm2=1.5×104 mm2S = 1.5 \times 10^2\ \text{cm}^2 \times 100\ \frac{\text{mm}^2}{\text{cm}^2} = 1.5 \times 10^4\ \text{mm}^2.

Watch out

A common mistake is to forget that area conversion uses the square of the length conversion factor. 1 cm21\ \text{cm}^2 is 100 mm2100\ \text{mm}^2, not 10 mm210\ \text{mm}^2.


(c) Speed 18 km/h18\ \text{km/h} — distance covered in 1 second

Step 1: Convert km/h to m/s

The standard conversion: 1 km/h=1000 m3600 s=518 m/s1\ \text{km/h} = \frac{1000\ \text{m}}{3600\ \text{s}} = \frac{5}{18}\ \text{m/s}.

So 18 km/h=18×518 m/s=5 m/s18\ \text{km/h} = 18 \times \frac{5}{18}\ \text{m/s} = 5\ \text{m/s}.

Step 2: Distance in 1 second

Distance = speed × time = 5 m/s×1 s=5 m5\ \text{m/s} \times 1\ \text{s} = 5\ \text{m}.

The number 18 has 2 significant figures, but the conversion factor 518\frac{5}{18} is exact (since 1 km = 1000 m and 1 h = 3600 s are definitions). So the answer 5 m is exact in this context.

Tip

Memorize: to convert km/h to m/s, multiply by 518\frac{5}{18}. To go the other way, multiply by 185\frac{18}{5}.


(d) Relative density of lead = 11.3

Step 1: What is relative density?

Relative density (specific gravity) is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of water at 4°C.

Density of water = 1 g/cm31\ \text{g/cm}^3 exactly (by definition of the gram).

So density of lead = 11.3×1 g/cm3=11.3 g/cm311.3 \times 1\ \text{g/cm}^3 = 11.3\ \text{g/cm}^3.

Step 2: Convert to kg/m³

1 g/cm3=1000 kg/m31\ \text{g/cm}^3 = 1000\ \text{kg/m}^3 because:

1 g=10−3 kg1\ \text{g} = 10^{-3}\ \text{kg}, 1 cm3=10−6 m31\ \text{cm}^3 = 10^{-6}\ \text{m}^3, so

1 g1 cm3=10−3 kg10−6 m3=103 kg/m3\frac{1\ \text{g}}{1\ \text{cm}^3} = \frac{10^{-3}\ \text{kg}}{10^{-6}\ \text{m}^3} = 10^3\ \text{kg/m}^3.

Thus 11.3 g/cm3=11.3×1000 kg/m3=11300 kg/m311.3\ \text{g/cm}^3 = 11.3 \times 1000\ \text{kg/m}^3 = 11300\ \text{kg/m}^3.

Step 3: Significant figures

11.3 has 3 significant figures. So 1130011300 should be written as 1.13×104 kg/m31.13 \times 10^4\ \text{kg/m}^3 to show 3 significant figures (11300 could be ambiguous — it might look like 3, 4, or 5 sig figs). Scientific notation removes the ambiguity.

Density of water: 1 g/cm3=1000 kg/m31\ \text{g/cm}^3 = 1000\ \text{kg/m}^3

Relative density × density of water = density of substance.


✓Final answer

  1. 10−6 m310^{-6}\ \text{m}^3
  2. 1.5×104 (mm)21.5 \times 10^4\ (\text{mm})^2
  3. 5 m5\ \text{m}
  4. 11.3 g/cm311.3\ \text{g/cm}^3 and 1.13×104 kg/m31.13 \times 10^4\ \text{kg/m}^3

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