Skill: Convert metric length units

Explanation and Free Practice Resources

Metric length units kilometer, meter, centimeter, and millimeter form a multiplicative system in which $1\text{ km}=1{,}000\text{ m}$ , $1\text{ m}=100\text{ cm}$ , and $1\text{ cm}=10\text{ mm}$ ; converting between units preserves length by multiplying or dividing by the appropriate power of ten. The learner interprets equivalent measurements in tables, equations, and simple decimal forms, recognizing that a larger unit requires a smaller numerical value, without extending to arbitrary metric prefixes or more advanced unit analysis.

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Detailed Explanation: Convert metric length units

Metric length units are related by powers of $(10)$ :

$(1\text{ km}=1{,}000\text{ m})$
$(1\text{ m}=100\text{ cm})$
$(1\text{ cm}=10\text{ mm})$

To convert to a smaller unit, multiply. To convert to a larger unit, divide. The length stays the same; only the number and unit change.

Example: Convert $(2.6\text{ m})$ to centimeters.

Since centimeters are smaller than meters, multiply by $(100)$ :

2.6\text{ m}\times 100=260\text{ cm}

So,

\boxed{2.6\text{ m}=260\text{ cm}}

The answer has a larger number because it takes $(100)$ centimeters to make $1$ meter.

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Measurement Conversion - Metric Length Units (Common) with Decimals

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