How to play Unit Pipeline
- Choose a tank. Its volume V and pump rate Q use different units.
- Add conversion factors. Flip a factor so the unit you want to remove appears on the opposite side.
- Stop when only s remains. The prediction box turns green.
- Press Play. The tank fills in real time, or faster with a higher playback speed, and tests your prediction.
The factor-label method
A conversion factor such as 1000 L / 1 m³ equals 1, because the top and the bottom describe the same amount. Multiplying by 1 never changes a quantity, only how it is written. Units cancel like algebra symbols, so the chain is right when every unit except the target has cancelled.
A focused learning model
The pump delivers a constant volumetric flow rate Q, the tank is a box with vertical walls, and the water surface stays flat. The fill time is t = V ÷ Q and the surface rises at v = Q ÷ A, where A is the base area. The SI units are m³ and s; the litre (1 L = 10⁻³ m³), the minute, and the hour are accepted for use with the SI.
SI reference: BIPM · SI Brochure