--- loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Physical_Units.tex 2003/01/24 22:32:08 1.1 +++ loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Physical_Units.tex 2006/09/07 21:25:51 1.3 @@ -2,6 +2,23 @@ \section*{Physical Units Accepted by LON-CAPA} The following subsections show the physical units that LON-CAPA accepts. The symbols must be used when entering the units, for example {}``35 kg''. + +Note that compound units are formed by using *, / and ^. For example, an acceleration might +be in terms of ``m/s^2'' or meters per second squared. This could also be expressed as``m/s/s''. +Units of Newton-meters (for torque) would be entered as ``N*m''. Parentheses may be used to guarantee +the correct sense of the unit. Kilometers per Ampere-hour could be written as ``km/(A*hr)'' or +``km/A/hr'' but not ``km/A*hr''. The last option would be interpreted as kilometer times hours per Ampere. + +LON-CAPA will automatically perform some conversions between units of the same dimension +when units are provided for a problem. +You can provide an answer of ``1.45 km'' for a distance. + If the computer expects the answer in cm, it will convert your answer before comparing +against the numerical solution. + +Please note that if your units are inappropriate, the computer has no way of checking +the appropriateness of your answer. If units are required, only once appropriate +units are provided will the system check your numerical answer. + \subsection*{Base Units} \begin{verbatim} # name symbol comment @@ -93,6 +110,11 @@ becquerel Bq # activity (radio gray Gy # absorbed dose (of radiation) sievert Sv # dose equivalent (dose equivalent index) astroUnit AU # mean distance earth to sun +celcius degC # multiplicatively OK +farenheight degF # multiplicatively OK +molarity M # chemisty +amu amu # atomic mass unit +amu u # atomic mass unit \end{verbatim} \subsection*{Interpretation} The coded units are interpreted in the order of basic unit,