Question

Make a program where you set a length given in meters and then compute and write out the corresponding length measured in inches, in feet, in yards, and in miles. Use that one inch is \(2.54 \mathrm{~cm}\), one foot is 12 inches, one yard is 3 feet, and one British mile is 1760 yards. As a verification, a length of 640 meters corresponds to \(25196.85\) inches, \(2099.74\) feet, \(699.91\) yards, or \(0.3977\) miles. Name of program file: length_conversion.py.

Short answer

Use defined constants to convert meters to inches, feet, yards, and miles using a function. Input meters and output conversions to inches, feet, yards, and miles.

Step-by-step solution

Define Conversion Constants

First, we need to define the conversion constants to convert meters to inches, feet, yards, and miles. We know: \(1 \text{ inch} = 2.54 \text{ cm}\), \(1 \text{ foot} = 12 \text{ inches}\), \(1 \text{ yard} = 3 \text{ feet}\), and \(1 \text{ mile} = 1760 \text{ yards}\). Additionally, \(1 \text{ meter} = 100 \text{ cm}\). Using this, we can compute:- Meters to inches: \(1 \text{ meter} = \frac{100}{2.54} \approx 39.3701 \text{ inches}\).- Meters to feet: \(1 \text{ meter} \approx \frac{39.3701}{12} = 3.28084 \text{ feet}\).- Meters to yards: \(1 \text{ meter} \approx \frac{3.28084}{3} = 1.09361 \text{ yards}\).- Meters to miles: \(1 \text{ meter} \approx \frac{1.09361}{1760} \approx 0.000621371 \text{ miles}\).

Create the Conversion Function

We define a function `convert_length` that takes a length in meters as an input. This function will use the conversion constants to compute the length in inches, feet, yards, and miles. We implement these calculations within the function using the constants derived in Step 1.

Implement User Input

Add a section in the `length_conversion.py` file that requests the user to input a length in meters. Use the `input()` function to take the user's input and convert it to a float so it can be used in mathematical calculations in the function.

Perform Conversion and Print Results

Call the `convert_length` function using the user-provided meter value. Compute the corresponding values in inches, feet, yards, and miles. Format the output to match the verification examples given (e.g., to 2 decimal places). Print out these converted values for the user to see.

Testing and Verification

Test the program using a known value of 640 meters. Verify if the output matches the provided test conversion values: inches as 25196.85, feet as 2099.74, yards as 699.91, and miles as 0.3977. This confirms the correctness of the program's calculations.

Key concepts

Unit Conversion

Unit conversion is a handy method used to translate measurements from one unit to another. This is especially useful in scenarios where measurements need to be understood or used in different systems. For example, in our everyday life, we might need to convert kilometers to miles if we're traveling, or grams to ounces when cooking a foreign recipe. These conversions help ensure consistency, accuracy, and ease of communication. For the exercise at hand, we are converting lengths measured in meters to several other units such as inches, feet, yards, and miles. Knowing the conversion constants between each unit is key to performing accurate conversions. It's important to note that each conversion must maintain the same value even though the numerical representation might change due to different measuring units.

Meters to Inches

Converting meters to inches is one of the first steps in the length conversion program. We know that 1 meter is equivalent to 100 centimeters.Since 1 inch is defined as 2.54 centimeters, you can calculate the number of inches in a meter by dividing:\[1 \text{ meter} = \frac{100}{2.54} \approx 39.3701 \text{ inches}\]This means, if you have a measurement in meters, you can multiply it by 39.3701 to get the equivalent measurement in inches. For example, to convert 640 meters to inches, you would calculate:\[640 \times 39.3701 = 25196.86\]Rounding to two decimal places provides the example verification answer of 25196.85 inches.

Length Conversion Program

Creating a length conversion program involves writing a Python script that takes a value in meters and returns equivalent values in several other units.

• First, define the conversion constants for the units (e.g., inches, feet, yards, miles).
• Then, write a function to handle these conversions.
• Make sure your program can accept user input, which is crucial for flexibility in using the program with different values.
• Provide clear outputs that are easy for the user to understand, matching examples for accuracy.

It's vital to test the program with known values to verify that the conversions are correct, ensuring the code performs as expected before anyone else uses it.

Python Functions

Python functions are powerful tools that help programmers encapsulate frequently used logic or processes. In our length conversion program, we used a function to manage the conversion of lengths from meters to other units. Functions are defined using the `def` keyword, followed by the function name and parentheses which can include parameters. For example, `def convert_length(meters):` signifies a function named `convert_length` which takes one parameter: `meters`. Functions provide a way to:

• Group code that performs a specific task.
• Re-use code without repeating it.
• To make code easier to read and maintain.

In the case of our conversion function, it computes different converted lengths and returns these values for display. Functions improve the modularity of your code and can greatly enhance productivity when programming.