US and Metric Weights and Measures

Compared
Length
inches to millimeters (mm)

1 inch = 25.4 millimeter =

2.54 centimeter

1 millimeter =
0.04 inch

1 centimeter = 10
millimeter

inches to centimeters (cm)

1 inch = 2.54
cm

1 cm = 0.39
inch

12 inches = 1 foot = 30.48

centimeter

inches and feet to meters and centimeters

100 centimeters = 1 meter = 39.37 inches = 3.281 feet

feet to meters (m)

1 foot = 0.3048 meters = 30.48 centimeter

1 meter = 3.281 feet

yards to meters (m)

1 yard = 0.9144
meter

1 meter = 1.093
yard

1 yard = 3 feet = 36
inches

miles to kilometers (km)

1 mile =
1.60934
kilometer

1 kilometer =
0.62137 miles

1 kilometer =
1000 meters

1 mile = 5280
feet = 1760 yards

2 inches = 1 foot, 3 feet = 1 yard, 1760 yards = 1 mile

10mm = 1cm, 100cm = 1m, 1000m = 1km
1 in = 2.54 cm, 1 ft = 30.48cm, 1 mile = 1.609344 km
1 mm = 0.04 inch, 1 cm = 0.3937 inch, 1 km = 0.62 mile

Problem:
A yardstick is 36 inches. What is this length in centimeters ?

Solution:
There are 2.54 centimeters in one inch.
Set up the conversion so the desired unit will be cancelled out. In this case,
we want cm to tbe the remaining unit.
length in cm = (length in inches) x (2.54 cm/1 in)
length in cm = (36 x 2.54) cm
length in cm = 91.44 cm
Answer:
A yardstick is 91.44 cm. long.

Conversion table inches to cm

BY LT H 0 M KY 8 2 2 4 E I M Y ON 1 3 J U N I , 2 0 1 3 L E AV E A C O M M E N T

Inche
s

cm

2.54

5.08

7.62

10.16

12.70

15.24

17.78

20.32

22.86

10

25.40

11

27.94

12

30.48

13

33.02

14

35.56

15

38.10

16

40.64

17

43.18

18

45.72

19

48.26

20

50.80

21

53.34

22

55.88

23

58.42

24

60.96

25

63.50

26

66.04

27

68.58

28

71.12

29

73.66

30

76.20

31

78.74

32

81.28

33

83.82

34

86.36

35

88.90

Cm

Inche
s

0.39

0.79

1.18

1.57

1.97

2.36

2.76

3.15

3.54

10

3.94

11

4.33

12

4.72

13

5.12

14

5.51

15

5.91

16

6.30

17

6.69

18

7.09

19

7.48

20

7.87

21

8.27

22

8.66

23

9.06

24

9.45

25

9.84

30

11.81

35

13.78

40

15.75

45

17.72

50

19.69

55

21.65

60

23.62

65

25.59

70

27.56

75

29.53

One-Step Dimensional Analysis Problems How do you set-up a dimensional analysis

problem? Example: If 1 inch is the same as 2.54 cm, how many inches are equal to
4.5 cm? Step 1: Identify the given value and write it down. 4.5 cm Step 2:
Determine which unit you want the answer expressed in. 4.5 cm x =? inches Step
3: Choose your conversion factor. Your conversion factor should get you from the
units you start with to the units you want to end with. The units you started with
should go on the bottom ofthe conversion factor. The units you want to end with
should go at the top of your conversion factor. 1 inch 4.5 cm x ?rnches 2.54 cm
Step 4: Do the math by either multiplying or dividing, depending on the problem. 1
inch 4.5 cm x = 1.77 2.54 cm Step 5: Cancel units where possible and write the
remaining unit behind your answer. / linch x = 1.77 inches / k Here are some
conversion factors that you are expected to know: 1000 milliliter 1 Liter; 1000
millimeters = 1 meter 100 centimeters = 1 meter 1000 meters 1 kilometer: 1000
grams I kilogram

B. Length:
Lets try a conversion of an English length to the corresponding Metric value. Convert 7.60 feet to
meters.
The sequence of conversions would be:
12 in
7.60 ft x

2.54 cm
x

1 ft

1m
x

1 in

102 cm

The units now cancel out to give only the desired unit of meters.
12 in
7.60 ft x

2.54 cm
x

1 ft

1m
x

1 in

102 cm

Multiply the numbers, and then convert the answer to the appropriate number of significant figures.
Since there are three significant figures in the starting value, and all three of the conversion
factors are identities, i.e., they are not involved in rounding off, the final answer must have three
significant figures.
2.31648 m

2.31 m