Content code
m1601
Slug (identifier)
converting-units-for-measuring-length
Parent content
Measurements | Elementary
Grades
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Equivalent file in the opposite grade group
Units of Length and Their Conversion
Topic
Mathematics
Content
Title (level 2)
3rd and 4th Grade
Title slug (identifier)
third-and-fourth-grade
Contenu
Contenu
Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Smaller Unit Using a Table?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between the units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Units of Measure for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to another unit, you can use a metric conversion table for length. In the table, the largest unit of measure, the metre (m), is on the far left.

Image
Units of measure for length table with m, dm, cm and mm, from left to right.
Content
Corps

Follow these steps to convert a length measurement to a smaller unit:

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

  2. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

  3. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number.

  4. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

  5. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of this column.

  6. I put a 0 in each empty column up to the column of the new unit of measure.

Content
Corps

Convert 32 dm into mm.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table with the decimetre column highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

    In the number 32, the digit in the ones position is 2.

 Units of measure for length table with a 2 placed in the decimetre column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number.

 Units of measure for length table with 32 decimetres placed in it.

  1. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the millimetre column highlighted.

  1. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of this column.

Since there is no decimal point, I'll skip to the next step.

  1. I put a 0 in each empty column up to the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with 3200 millimetres placed in it.

32 dm is equivalent to 3200 mm.

Content
Corps

Convert 9.5 m into cm.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table where the metres column is highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

    In the number 9.5, the digit in the ones position is 9.

 Units of measure for length table with 9 placed in the metres column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number.

 Units of measure for length table with 9.5 metres placed in it.

  1. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the centimetres column highlighted.

  1. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of this column.

 Units of measure for length table in which a decimal point is placed to the right of the centimetre column.

  1. I put a 0 in each empty column up to the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with 950 centimetres placed in it.

9.5 m is equivalent to 950 cm.

Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Larger Unit Using a Table?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Measurement Units for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to another unit, you can use a units of measure for length table. In the table, the largest measurement unit, the metre (m), is on the far left.

Image
Units of measure for length table with m, dm, cm and mm from left to right.
Content
Corps

I follow these steps to convert a length measurement to a larger unit:

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

  2. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

  3. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number.

  4. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

  5. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of this column.

  6. I put a 0 if there is no number in the new unit column or in any of the empty columns to the right of the decimal point.

Content
Corps

Convert 189 mm into m.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table with the millimetre column highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

    In the number 189, the digit in the ones position is 9.

 Units of measure for length table with 9 placed in the millimetre column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number.

 Units of measure for length table with 189 millimetres placed in it.

  1. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the metre column highlighted.

  1. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of this column.

    Since there is no decimal point in the number 189, I will add one.

 Units of measure for length table with a decimal point to the right in the metre column.

  1. I put a 0 if there is no number in the new unit column or in any of the empty columns to the right of the decimal point.

 Units of measure for length table with 0.189 metres placed in it.

189 mm is equivalent to 0.189 m.

Content
Corps

Convert 28.7 cm into dm.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table with the centimetre column highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

    In the number 28.7, the digit in the ones position is 8.

 Units of measure for length table with 8 placed in the centimetre column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number.

 Units of measure for length table with 28.7 centimetres placed in it.

  1. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the decimetre column highlighted.

  1. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of this column.

 Units of measure for length table with a decimal point to the right of the 2 in the decimetre column.

  1. I put a 0 if there is no number in the new unit column or in any of the empty columns to the right of the decimal point.

    Since there is a number in the new unit column and in the columns to the right of the decimal point, I don't have to do this step.

 Units of measure for length table with 2.87 decimetres placed in it.

28.7 cm is equivalent to 2.87 dm.

Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Smaller Unit Using Multiplication?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Units of Measure for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to a smaller unit, multiply the measurement by 10 each time you convert to a smaller unit.

Image
Conversion table of units of measure for length showing the proportions between each.
Content
Corps

Follow these steps to convert a unit of measure for length to a smaller unit:

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.

  2. Determine the new unit of measure.

  3. Multiply the measurement by 10 for each smaller unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.

Content
Corps

Convert 0.2 m into mm.

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.

    The starting unit of measure is metres.

0.2 m

  1. Determine the new unit of measure.

    The new measurement unit is millimetres.

0.2 m = ? mm

  1. Multiply the measurement by 10 for each smaller unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.

    To convert a measurement from metres to millimetres, I multiply the measurement by 10, 3 times.

    0.2 m × 10 = 2 dm
    2 dm × 10 = 20 cm
    20 cm × 10 = 200 mm

    To save some time, I can also multiply it by 1000.

    0.2 m x 1000 = 200 mm

Conversion table of units of measure for length with metres and millimetres highlighted.

0.2 m is equivalent to 200 mm.

Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Larger Unit Using Division?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Units of Measure for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to a larger unit, you must divide the measurement by 10 each time you convert it to a larger unit.

Image
Conversion table of units of measure for length showing the proportions between each.
Content
Corps

I follow these steps to convert a length measurement to a larger unit:

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.

  2. Determine the new unit of measure.

  3. Divide the measurement by 10 for each larger unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.

Content
Corps

Convert 66 cm into m.

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.

    The starting unit of measure is centimetres.

66 cm

  1. Determine the new unit of measure.

    The new unit of measure is metres.

66 cm = ? m

  1. Divide the measurement by 10 for each larger unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.

    To convert a measurement from centimetres to metres, I divide the measurement by 10, twice.

    66 cm ÷ 10 = 6.6 dm
    6.6 dm ÷ 10 = 0.66 m

    To save some time, I can also divide by 100.

    66 cm ÷ 100 = 0.66 m

Conversion table of units of measure for length with metres and centimetres highlighted.

66 cm is equivalent to 0.66 m.

Columns number
2 columns
Format
50% / 50%
First column
Video
Comment convertir une mesure de longueur en une unité plus petite?
Second column
Video
Comment convertir une mesure de longueur en une unité plus grande?
Contenu
Title
See Also
Content
Links
Type
Internal
Title
Units for Measuring Length
Internal link
/en/students/vl/mathematics/units-for-measuring-length-m1634
Type
Internal
Title
Decimal Numbers
Internal link
/en/students/vl/mathematics/decimal-numbers-elementary-m1651
Title (level 2)
5th and 6th Grade
Title slug (identifier)
grades-5-6
Contenu
Contenu
Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Smaller Unit Using a Table?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Units of Measure for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to another unit, you can use a units of measure for length table. In the table, the largest unit of measure the kilometre (km), is on the far left.

Image
Units of measure for length table with, from left to right, km, hm, dam, m, dm, cm and mm.
Content
Corps

Follow these steps to convert a length measurement to a smaller unit:

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

  2. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

  3. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number. If there is a decimal point, I write it too.

  4. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

  5. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of the column of the new unit of measure.

  6. I put a 0 in each empty column up to the column of the new unit of measure

Content
Corps

Convert 459 m into cm.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table with the metres column highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

 Units of measure for length table with a 9 placed in the metres column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number. If there is a decimal point, I write it too.

 Units of measure for length table with 459 metres placed in it.

  1. I locate the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the centimetre column highlighted.

  1. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of the column of the new unit of measure.

Since there is no decimal point, I skip to the next step.

  1. I put a 0 in each empty column up to the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with 459000 centimetres placed in it.

459 m is equivalent to 45 900 cm.

Content
Corps

Convert 5.6 km into m.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table with the kilometre column highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

    In the number 5.6, the digit in the ones position is 5.

 Units of measure for length table with a 5 placed in the kilometre column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number. If there is a decimal point, I write it too.

 Units of measure for length table with the 5.6 kilometre measurement in it.

  1. I locate the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the metre column highlighted.

  1. If there is a decimal point, I move it to the right of the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table in which a decimal point is placed on the right in the metres column.

  1. I put a 0 in each empty column up to the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with 5600 metres placed in it.

5.6 km is equivalent to 5600 m.

Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Larger Unit Using a Table?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Units of Measure for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to another unit, you can use a units of measure for length table. In the table, the largest measurement unit, the kilometre (km), is on the far left.

Image
Units of measure for length table in which there are, from left to right, km, hm, dam, m, dm, cm and mm.
Content
Corps

I follow these steps to convert a length measurement to a larger unit:

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

  2. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

  3. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number. I also write the decimal point, if there is one.

  4. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

  5. I place the decimal point to the right of the column of the new unit of measure.

  6. I put a 0 if there is no number in the new unit column or in any of the empty columns to the right of the decimal point.

Content
Corps

Convert 85 000 cm into m.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table with the centimetre column highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

    In the number 85 000, the digit in the ones position is 0.

 Units of measure for length table with a 0 in the centimetre column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number. I also write the decimal point, if there is one.

 Units of measure for length table with 85000 centimetres placed in it.

  1. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the metres column highlighted.

  1. I place the decimal point to the right of the column of the new unit of measure.

    Since there is no decimal point in the number 85 000, I add one.

 Units of measure for length table with a decimal point on the right in the metres column.

  1. I put a 0 if there is no number in the new unit column or in any of the empty columns to the right of the decimal point.

    Since there is a number in the new unit column and in the columns to the right of the decimal point, I don't have to do this step.

 Units of measure for length table with 850 metres placed in it.

85 000 cm is equivalent to 850 m.

Content
Corps

Convert 795 m into km.

  1. I find the column with the unit of measure of the starting number.

 Units of measure for length table with the metre column highlighted.

  1. In this column, I write the digit that is in the ones position.

    In the number 795, the digit in the ones position is 5.

 Units of measure for length table with a 5 in the metre column.

  1. I write the remaining digits, one per column, of the number. I also write the decimal point, if there is one.

 Units of measure for length table with 795 metres placed in it.

  1. I find the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with the kilometre column highlighted.

  1. I place the decimal point to the right of the column of the new unit of measure.

 Units of measure for length table with a decimal point to the right in the kilometre column.

  1. I put a 0 if there is no number in the new unit column or in any of the empty columns to the right of the decimal point.

 Units of measure for length table with 0.795 kilometres placed in it.

795 m is equivalent to 0.795 km.

Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Smaller Unit Using Multiplication?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Units of Measure for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to a smaller unit, you must multiply the measurement by 10 each time you convert it to a smaller unit.

Image
Conversion table of units of measure for length showing the proportions between each.
Content
Corps

Follow these steps to convert a length measurement to a smaller unit:

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.

  2. Determine the new unit of measure.

  3. Multiply the measurement by 10 for each smaller unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.

Content
Corps

Convert 7.5 km into m.

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.
    The starting measurement unit is kilometres.

7.5 km

  1. Determine the new unit of measure.

    The new unit of measure is metres.

7.5 km = ? m

  1. Multiply the measurement by 10 for each smaller unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.

    To go from km to m, I multiply the measurement by 10, 3 times.

    7.5 km × 10 = 75 hm
    75 hm × 10 = 750 dam
    750 dam × 10 = 7500 m

    To save some time, I can also multiply by 1000.

    7.5 km x 1 000 = 7500 m

Conversion table of units of measure for length with kilometres and metres highlighted.

7.5 km is equivalent to 7500 m.

Title
How Can a Length Measurement Be Converted to a Larger Unit Using Division?
Content
Content
Corps

You need to know the equivalencies between units of measure for length before learning to make conversions.

To see these equivalences, you can read the concept sheet Units of Measure for Length.

Corps

To convert a length measurement to a smaller unit, you must divide the measurement by 10 each time you convert it to a larger unit.

Image
Conversion table of units of measure for length showing the proportions between each.
Content
Corps

Follow these steps to convert a length measurement to a larger unit:

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.

  2. Determine the new unit of measure.

  3. Divide the measurement by 10 for each larger unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.

Content
Corps

Convert 450 dm into km.

  1. Identify the starting unit of measure of the number.

    The starting unit of measure is decimetres.

450 dm

  1. Determine the new unit of measure.

    The new unit of measure is kilometres.

450 dm = ? km

  1. Divide the measurement by 10 for each larger unit of measure until the new unit of measure is reached.
    To go from dm to km, divide the measurement by 10, 4 times.

    450 dm ÷ 10 = 45 m
    45 m ÷ 10 = 4.5 dam
    4.5 dam ÷ 10 = 0.45 hm
    0.45 hm ÷ 10 = 0.045 km

    To save some time, I can also divide by 10 000.

    450 dm ÷ 10 000 = 0.045 km

Conversion table of units of measure for length with kilometres and decimetres highlighted.

450 dm is equivalent to 0.045 km.

Contenu
Title
See Also
Content
Links
Type
Internal
Title
Units for Measuring Length
Internal link
/en/students/vl/mathematics/units-for-measuring-length-m1634
Type
Internal
Title
Decimal Numbers
Internal link
/en/students/vl/mathematics/decimal-numbers-elementary-m1651
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