Physics Problem: Fast-Plant

Bamboo grows very fast, for a plant. A particular bamboo might grow 90.4 cm in a single day. How many micrometers per second does this rate correspond to?

Solution:

rate=lengthtime=90.4 cm1 day=90.4 cmday×10,000 μm1 cm×1 day86400 s=10.5 μm/s\begin{aligned} \text{rate} & = \frac{\text{length}}{\text{time}} \\ \\ &=\frac{90.4\ \text{cm}}{1 \ \text{day}}\\ \\ &=\frac{90.4\ \bcancel{\text{cm}}}{\bcancel{\text{day}}} \times\frac{10,000\ \mu m}{1\ \bcancel{\text{cm}}}\times \frac{1\ \bcancel{\text{day}}}{86400\ s}\\ \\ & = 10.5\ \mu m/s \end{aligned}