converting currencies

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Asymptote

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Hi, I keep getting the wrong answer. Please help me!!!
A steel company in Hamilton can purchase Alberta coal at C$103 per metric tonne (1000 kg) or West Virginia coal at US$94 per ton (2000 lb). (1 kg = 2.205 lb)

How much cheaper in C$ per metric tonne is the less expensive source if US$0.805 = C$1.00? (Round your answer to the nearest cent.)
 
Asymptote said:

Hi, I keep getting the wrong answer. Please help me!!!
A steel company in Hamilton can purchase Alberta coal at C$103 per metric tonne (1000 kg) or West Virginia coal at US$94 per ton (2000 lb). (1 kg = 2.205 lb)

How much cheaper in C$ per metric tonne is the less expensive source if US$0.805 = C$1.00? (Round your answer to the nearest cent.)
Click to expand...
Please tell us:
  • What is the answer that you got

  • How did you get that answer (show your work)

  • How do you know the answer is incorrect?
 
i dont have the answer key but i still can know that my anser is wrong because it does not make sense.

I did
($94 us/ 2000 lb) x (2.205 lb/l kg)x (0.805/ $ 1 us)
I tried to use unit analysis and I think I am doing it in a wrong way
 
Asymptote said:
i dont have the answer key but i still can know that my anser is wrong because it does not make sense.

I did
($94 us/ 2000 lb) x (2.205 lb/l kg)x (0.805/ $ 1 us)
I tried to use unit analysis and I think I am doing it in a wrong way
Click to expand...
($94 us/ 2000 lb) x (2.205 lb/l kg)x (0.805/ $ 1 us) = (? number)(? unit)
 
You want to convert US$94 per 2000 lb to C$ per 1000 kg

(US$94/2000 lb) = (US$94/2000 lb)(C$1.00/$US 0.805)*(2.205 lb/1 kg)(100kg/metric tonne). Now the units here are C$/metric tonne
Notice what the values are for each fraction in the bold parenthesis. So basically the 2nd line says that (US$94/2000 lb) equals itself times 1 times 1 times 1

Come back and show us your work!

Edit: I just realized that you had got the same result as I did. But you are confused/unsure of your results. So let's clear that up!
Whenever you divide the exact same value by itself ( except for 0/0) you always get 1. Then 1 day / 24 hours = 1 since 1 day and 24 hours are the same--just expressed differently. Since you are told (or know) that US$0.805 = C$1.00 then US$0.805/C$1.00 =1 and C$1.00/US$0.805=1.
Never be afraid to multiply by 1. You will never be wrong. Sometimes it my not help because you have have flipped the fraction and the units will not cancel but it won't be wrong! So in the end you said (US$94/2000 lb) = (US$94/2000 lb)*1*1
 
Last edited:
Asymptote said:
(103cad/1000kg)- 0.083426175 CAD/kg then would this be my final answer?
Click to expand...

In (103cad/1000kg)- 0.083426175 CAD/kg you are subtracting but the units are not the same so you are not finished. Even if the units were the same you should have done the subtraction! And one last comment, the problem asked you to find the difference in terms of C$ per metric tonne !
 
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