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In this lesson, we will try to solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from larger units to smaller units. This can be done through familiarizing yourselves with relative units of measurement within one system of units and using the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and even simple fractions.
See the fact file below for more information on the converting units or alternatively, you can download our 36-page Converting Units worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
CONVERTING METRIC UNITS
- Recall that the most commonly used metric units of length are kilometer (km), meter (m), centimeter (cm), and millimeter (mm).
- These units of length are related as follows:
- 10 mm = 1 cm
- 100 cm = 1 m
- 1000 m = 1 km
- To convert length from a larger unit into a smaller unit, multiply by the relevant power of 10.
- To convert length from a smaller unit into a larger unit, divide by the relevant power of 10.
- The unit you are converting from is at the bottom
- The unit you are converting to is at the top
- Example 1. Convert 7 cm to mm.
- Note that cm is a larger unit than mm. Thus, multiply 7 cm by 10 mm.
- Cancel the same units to arrive at our desired unit. In this case, 7 is multiplied by 10 mm, and then divided by 1, resulting in 70 mm.
- Example 2. Convert 9000 m to km.
- Note that m is a smaller unit than km. Thus, divide 9000 m by 1000 m.
- Cancel the same units to arrive at our desired unit. In this case, 9000 m is divided by 1000 m, and then multiplied by 1, resulting in 9 km.
- Example 3. Convert 2.5 m to mm.
- To arrive at cm, cancel m, then multiply 2.5 by 100, since m is larger than cm. We are looking for mm, and cm is larger than mm. Thus, multiply 100 by 10. Don’t forget to cancel out cm to achieve our desired unit, which is mm.
- This could also be solved by multiplying 2.5 m by 1000 mm.
- Converting seconds to other units of time is also possible. Below is the table for conversion:
- 60 seconds = 1 minute
- 60 minutes = 1 hour
- 24 hours = 1 day
- Example 4. How many seconds are there in an hour?
- Since an hour is larger than a minute, multiply 1 hr by 60 min. In order to arrive at s, multiply 60 min by 60 s.
CONVERTING IMPERIAL UNITS
- To convert imperial units, you must use a conversion factor.
- A unit conversion factor is a fraction that is equal to 1.
- The numerator (top) of the fraction contains the number of units of the unit you want to convert to.
- Whenever we do conversions, it is important to put whatever we want on top and whatever we have on the bottom.
- The table of conversions found on the next page will help you convert imperial units.
- 12 inches = 1 foot
- 36 inches = 1 yard
- 5280 feet = 1 mile
- 1760 yards = 1 mile
- 1 inch = 2.54 cm
- 1 foot = 30.5 cm
- 1 foot = 0.305 m
- 1 yard = 3 feet
- 1 yard = 0.915 m
- 1 mile = 1.6 km
- Example 5. Convert 116 inches to feet.
- Looking at our table, 12 inches is equal to 1 foot. Thus, we will divide 116 inches by 12 inches.
- Example 6. Convert 25 miles to yards.
- Since we want to convert miles to yards, we put yards as the numerator and miles as the denominator. Then, multiply 25 and 1760.
- Therefore, Tessa ran a total of 39000 m.
- Example 8. It’s 3:32 in the afternoon, and Gina has piano lessons at 6:00 in the evening. How many minutes are there until Gina’s piano lessons?
- Step 1. Let’s find out how much time there is between 3:32 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
- Step 2. Let’s add minutes until we get to the next hour, 4:00 p.m.
- Step 3. Now, let’s find out how many hours are between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
- Step 4. Let’s convert 2 hours and 28 minutes into only minutes.
- Adding 120 min and 28 min results to 148 min. Therefore, there are 148 min until Gina’s piano lessons.
- Example 9. Jack has 19700 g of sand in his sandbox. He brought home another 6300 g of sand from the beach to add to his sandbox. How many kilograms of sand does Jack have in his sandbox now?
- Step 1. Jack had 19700 g of sand and added 6300 g more.
- Step 2. Jim has 26000 g of sand in his sandbox.
- Step 3. We need to convert 26000 g to kg.
- Therefore, Jack has 26 kg of sand in his sandbox.
- Example 10. Coach Edwin bought 28 L of sports drink to the soccer game. He divided the sports drink equally between 7 coolers. How many milliliters of sports drink did Coach Edwin put in each cooler?
- Step 1. Coach Edwin divided 28 L into 7 equal parts.
- Step 2. Each cooler contained 4 L of sports drink.
- Step 3. Convert 4 L into milliliters.
- Therefore, Coach Edwin put 4000 mL of sports drink in each cooler.
PERIMETER AND AREA WORD PROBLEMS
- Perimeter is the length or distance around a shape or space.
- To find the perimeter, simply add the lengths of all the sides.
- Area is the space taken up by a flat shape.
- To find the area, multiply its length by its width.
- It’s very important to use the correct unit of length when finding the perimeter. For example, say you need to build a fence around your pool. When you measure its sides, you use only one unit of length.
- When you know the unit of length for the perimeter, you know how many materials to get for building the fence.
- To find the perimeter, simply follow the formula:
- P = (2 x length) + (2 x width)
Converting Units Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the converting units across 36 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Converting Units worksheets that are perfect for teaching students how to solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from larger units to smaller units. This can be done through familiarizing yourselves with relative units of measurement within one system of units and using the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and even simple fractions.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Lesson Plan
- Converting Units
- Converting Metric Units
- Converting Imperial Units
- Unit to Unit
- Arranging Capacities
- Comparing Units
- Japan Road Trip
- Rags and Riches
- Birthday Cake
- Area and Perimeter Problem
- Real Wor(l)d Problems
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Link will appear as Converting Units Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 24, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.