Converting Measurements

Converting from one metric unit to another
Some of the most common metric conversions are between mm, cm, m and km.
 * 1 cm = 10 mm
 * 1 m = 100 cm = 1000 mm
 * 1 km = 1000 m = 100 000 cm = 1 000 000 mm
 * 'Kilo' means 1000, so 1 km = 1000 m
 * 'Centi' means 1/100th, so 1 cm = 1/100th m
 * 'Milli' means 1/1000th, so 1 mm = 1/1000th m

Converting units of mass and capacity
Converting units of mass and capacity is easy when you are confident with conversions between mm, cm, m and km.

For example:


 * 1 km = 1000 m, so 1 kg = 1000 g
 * 1 m = 100 cm, so 1 l (litre) = 100 cl (centilitres)
 * 1 m = 1000 mm, so 1 g = 1000 mg (milligrams)

Converting between metric and imperial units
You should know some common conversions between metric and imperial units. Some of these are shown below, but check with your teacher which ones you need to learn.
 * 1 km = 5/8 mile
 * 1 m = 39.37 inches
 * 1 foot = 30.5 cm
 * 1 inch = 2.54 cm
 * 1 kg = 2.2 lb
 * 1 gallon = 4.5 litres
 * 1 litre = 1 3/4 pints

More conversions

 * 1 cubic centimetre (cm3) = 1000 cubic millimetres (mm3)
 * 1 cm3 = 1 millilitre (ml)