If you want to convert between all length units, explore our comprehensive all length units converter. It provides a wide range of length units, allowing you to effortlessly convert between them with ease and accuracy.
If you require conversions between Imperial and Metric length units without relying on a converter, you will need access to the appropriate conversion factors since they can be very difficult to remember. To obtain the necessary conversion factors, you may refer to the links provided at the end of this page. These links will direct you to reliable resources containing conversion factors, dedicated converters, conversion tables and comprehensive instructions on how to perform the conversions accurately.
Below, you will find information about Metric length units and Imperial length units, along with guidance on how to convert within each system.
Imperial Length Units:
The Imperial system is primarily used for length measurement in the United States and a few other countries that have historical ties to the British Empire, relies on units such as inches, feet, yards and miles. The inch (in) is the smallest unit, followed by the foot (ft), yard (yd) and mile (mi). Conversions between these units can be more complex due to their non-decimal nature.
The basic unit of length in the Imperial system is the yard, defined as exactly 0.9144 meter by international treaty in 1959. The league is the longest imperial length unit.
Converting length units within the imperial system involves understanding the conversion factors between different units.
To convert between Imperial length units, you can follow these steps:
1. Identify the starting length unit and the target unit for conversion.
2. Find the conversion factor between the two units. Conversion factors for common Imperial length units are as follows:
- 1 foot (ft) = 12 inches (in)
- 1 yard (yd) = 3 feet (ft)
- 1 mile (mi) = 1760 yards (yd)
3. Multiply the value in the starting length unit by the conversion factor to obtain the equivalent value in the target length unit.
For example, let's say you want to convert 36 inches to feet:
To convert from inches to feet, divide the value in inches by 12 (since there are 12 inches in a foot).
Therefore, 36 in ÷ 12 = 3 feet
Similarly, You can use similar principles to convert between other imperial length units. For instance, to convert from yards to feet, multiply the value in yards by 3.
Metric Length Units:
The Metric system is based on powers of 10 and uses standard prefixes that represent them, making it convenient to convert between different Metric units. These prefixes indicate multiples or submultiples of the base unit, making it easier to work with measurements that are either very large or very small. Here are some common Metric prefixes and their symbols:
Remember that the Metric system base length unit is metre (American spelling is meter). All other Metric length units are either the fractions or the multiples of meter (metre).
- Kilo (k): 1 kilo is equal to 1000 units of the base unit
- Hecto (h): 1 hecto is equal to 100 units of the base unit
- Deka (da): 1 deka is equal to 10 units of the base unit
- Deci (d): 1 deci is equal to 0.1 (1/10) of the base unit
- Centi (c): 1 centi is equal to 0.01 (1/100) of the base unit
- Milli (m): 1 milli is equal to 0.001 (1/1000) of the base unit
- Micro (μ) : 1 micro is equal to 0.000001 (1/1000000) of the base unit
- Nano (n) : 1 nano is equal to 0.000000001 (1/1000000000) of the base unit
For each prefix, there is a specific conversion factor. To convert from a smaller unit to a larger unit, divide by the conversion factor and to convert from a larger unit to a smaller unit, multiply by the conversion factor.
For example to convert 250 centimeters (cm) to meters (m):
1. We know that 1 meter (m) = 100 centimeters (cm) (since "centi" means 1/100)
2. To convert from centimeters to meters, divide the value in centimeters by 100.
Therefore, 250 cm ÷ 100 = 2.5 meters
For converting other length units, such as kilometers, millimeters, or even larger units like megameters or gigameters, you can use similar principles by applying the appropriate conversion factors.
The most frequently converted Metric length units are meter, centimeter, kilometer and millimeter. The kilometer is the longest Metric length unit.
Length Units Conversion Factors:
Below is a quick reference list of conversion factors for the most frequently used length units in the length converter and the links to the popular length converters and the tables for more information.
Centimeter (Centimetre) Conversion:
Foot Conversion:
- 1 foot = 30.48 centimeters → feet to cm
- 1 foot = 12 inches → feet to inches
- 1 foot = 0.0003048 kilometer
- 1 foot = 0.3048 meter → feet to meters
- 1 foot = 304.8 millimeters
- 1 foot = 0.333 yard
Inch Conversion:
Kilometer (Kilometre) Conversion:
- 1 kilometer = 100 000 centimeters
- 1 kilometer = 3280.83 foot
- 1 kilometer = 1000 meters → km to meters
- 1 kilometer = 0.6214 mile → km to miles
- 1 kilometer = 1093.6 yards
Meter (Metre) Conversion:
Mile Conversion:
Yard Conversion:
