How many times have you had to convert from one system of measurement to another: feet to inches, meters to feet, kilograms to pounds? Because we in the United States have not fully adopted the metric system, it is very common to have to convert within a system or from one system to another. Conversion of any type can be done the same way. Below are some examples of conversions and some practice problems for you.

Example 1 - Feet to Inches
How many inches in 15 feet?

1 foot = 12 inches  so  12 inches = 1   or   1 foot       = 1
                                      1 foot                   12 inches

15 feet  x 12 inches = 180 inches
                   1 foot

Example 2 - Miles to feet
How many feet in 1/2 mile?

1 mile = 5280 feet  so  1 mile   =  1   or     5280 feet  = 1
                                   5280 feet                     1 mile

1/2 mile x 5280 feet = 2640 feet
                    1 mile

Example 3 - Miles to kilometers
How many kilometers in 2 miles?

1 mile = 1.609 kilometers  so   1 mile   = 1   or    1.609 km  = 1
                                                  1.609 km                 1 mile

2 miles x 1.609 km = 3.218 kilometers
                  1 mile


Practice problems

Convert the following:

1)  4 feet to inches



2)  132 milligrams to grams




3)  20 kilograms to pounds





4)  50 pounds to kilograms





5)  2 liters to quarts





6)  1 gallon to liters





7)  21 centimeters to meters





8)  5 miles to kilometers





9)  2 kilometers to miles





10)  10 inches to centimeters