1. Think about all you know about the concept behind the problem
  2. Write those ideas down if you have to
  3. Think about all relationships between the pieces listed in the problem


  1. Look at the units and begin with the number and unit that tells what you actually have
  2. Think about all possible units that you can convert to from the given unit
  3. Look at the unit you need for the answer and determine what you need to know to get to that unit
  4. Determine methods to connect all the units to each other


  1. Write out the fractions with the units
  2. Add all numbers
  3. Calculate
  4. Check that your answer has the correct number of significant digits and the correct unit written

Check: Very Important!

  1. Check powers of ten in the problem and estimate what power of ten your answer should have
  2. Ensure that all fractions have the correct conversion factors (top equal to the bottom)
  3. Check that the units cancel correctly leaving only the units for you answer
  4. Recheck numbers in the calculator in a different order than you entered them the first time.
  5. Make sure all orerations were done correctly (multiplied when you were supposed to etc.)