Metric Conversion Chart – Conversion Tricks, Facts, Examples

What Is the Metric Conversion Chart?

The Metric Conversion Chart is a tool that facilitates the conversion between various metric units of measurement. It often includes customary (imperial or US customary) units as well, making it easier to convert between these two measurement systems.

A metric system conversion chart typically includes unit conversions for measurements like length, mass, volume, temperature, and other common units. The chart provides a quick and convenient way to convert measurements from one unit to another by listing the conversion factors between each pair of units. This helps users easily perform conversions without complex calculations.

• What Is the Metric System? 

The metric system is a widely used decimal-based measurement system that uses the base units meter (for length), liter (for volume or capacity), and gram (for mass or weight).

Note that the SI system (International System of Units) is often referred to as the modern form of metric system. 

• What Is a Conversion Factor? 

A conversion factor is a numerical ratio used to convert between different units of measurement. It demonstrates how two units are related, facilitating the conversion from one to the other. For instance, since there are 100 centimeters in one meter, the conversion factor between meters (m) and centimeters (cm) is 100.

Simple Tricks to Remember Metric Conversions

Before we jump into metric units conversion, let’s learn a simple trick to remember these conversions easily.

The metric system chart below shows base units (gram, meter, liter) and their prefixes.

Kilo	Hecto	Deca	MeterLiterGram	Deci	Centi	Milli
103	102	101	100 = 1	10-1	10-2	10-3

Here are tricks to carry out metric conversions easily:

Condition	Trick	Example
Moving to Right	If you move n positions to the right from any place, multiply by 10n.	• 1 meter = 10 decimeters • 7 hectometer = 700 meters • 5 km = 5000 meters
Moving to Left	If you move n positions to the left from any place, divide by 10n (or multiply by 10-n).	• 1 meter = 0.1 decameter • 2 cm = 0.02 m • 43 mm = 0.043 m

Here’s a table for larger and smaller units:

Tera	Giga	Mega	Kilo	MeterLiterGram	Milli	Micro	Nano	Pico
1012	109	106	103	100 = 1	10-3	10-6	10-9	10-12

Let’s dive into metric-to-metric conversion charts and also, as additional information, we will learn conversions involving customary units.

Length: Metric Conversion Chart for Length

Conversions involving Metric Units of Length
1 centimeter = 10 millimeters	1 cm = 10 mm
1 decimeter = 10 centimeters	1 dm = 10 cm
1 meter = 100 centimeters	1 m = 100 cm
1 kilometer = 1000 meters	1 km = 1000 m
Conversions involving Customary and Metric Units of Length
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters	1 in = 2.54 cm
1 foot = 12 inches	1 ft = 12 in
1 yard = 36 inches	1 yd = 36 in
1 mile = 1.61 kilometers	1 mi = 1.61 km

Weight: Metric Conversion Chart for Weight

1 kilogram = 1000 grams (1 kg = 1000 g)

1 gram = 1000 milligrams (1 g = 1000 mg)

1 pound = 0.453 kilograms (1 lb = 0.453 kg)

1 metric ton = 1000 kilograms (1 t = 1000 kg)

1 gigagram = 1000 megagrams (1 Gg = 1000 Mg)

1 decagram = 10 grams (1 dag = 10 g)

1 ton = 2000 pounds = 907.185 kilograms (1 t = 2000 lb = 907.185 kg)

1 pound = 16 ounces (1 lb = 16 oz)

1 ounce = 28.3495 grams (1 oz = 28.3495 g)

Liquid Volume: Metric Conversion Chart for Liquid Volume or Capacity

Conversions involving metric units of liquid volume

1 centiliter = 10 millimeters (1 cL = 10 mL)

1 deciliter = 10 centiliters (1 dL = 10 cL)

1 liter = 1000 milliliters (1 L = 1000 mL)

1 liter = 10 deciliters (1 L = 10 dL)

1 kiloliter = 1000 liters (1 kL = 1000 L)

Conversions involving metric and customary units of liquid volume

1 fluid ounces = 29.5735 milliliters 1 fl oz = 29.5735 mL

1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 236.588 milliliters1 c = 8 fl oz = 236.588 mL

1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fluid ounces = 473.176 milliliters1 pt = 2 c = 16 fl oz = 473.176 mL

1 quart = 2 pints = 32 ounces (fluid) = 946.353 milliliters1 qt = 2 pt = 32 fl oz = 946.353 mL

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 128 fluid ounces = 3,785.41 milliliters1 gal = 4 qt = 128 fl oz = 3,785.41 mL

1 fluid ounce = $\frac{1}{8}$ cup = $\frac{1}{16}$ pint = $\frac{1}{32}$ quart = $\frac{1}{128}$ gallon

1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fluid ounces

Temperature: Metric Conversion Chart for Temperature

Description	Formula	Example
Celsius to Kelvin:	Kelvin = Celsius + 273.15	1 °C = 274.15 K
Celsius to Fahrenheit:	Fahrenheit = $\frac{9}{5} \times$ Celsius + 32	1 °C = 33.8 F
Kelvin to Celsius:	Celsius = Kelvin – 273.15	1 K = -272.1 °C
Kelvin to Fahrenheit:	Fahrenheit = (Kelvin – 273.15) $\frac{9}{5} \times$ + 32	1 K = -457.87 F
Fahrenheit to Celsius:	Celsius = (Fahrenheit – 32) $ \times \frac{5}{9}$	1 F = -17.22 °C
Fahrenheit to Kelvin:	Kelvin = (Fahrenheit – 32) $\times \frac{5}{9}$ + 273.15	1 F = 255.93 K

Time: Metric Conversion Chart for Units of Time

Description	Conversion
Hours to minutes conversion:	1 hour = 60 minutes1 h = 60 min
Minutes to seconds conversion:	1 minute = 60 seconds1 min = 60 s
Hours to seconds conversion:	1 hour = 3600 seconds1 h = 3600 s
Days to hours conversion:	1 day = 24 hours1 day = 24 h
Days to seconds conversion:	1 day = 86,400 seconds1 day = 86,400 s

Area: Metric Conversion Chart for Area

Conversions involving Metric Units
1 square centimeter = 100 square millimeters	1 cm² = 100 mm²
1 square decimeter = 100 square centimeters	1 dm² = 100 cm²
1 square meter = 10,000 square centimeters	1 m² = 10,000 cm²
1 square kilometer = 1 million square meters	1 km² = 1,000,000 m²
Conversions involving Metric and Customary Units
1 square kilometer = 100 hectares	1 km² = 100 ha
1 square inch = 6.4516 square centimeters	1 in² = 6.4516 cm²
1 square foot = 144 square inches	1 ft² = 144 in²
1 square yard = 9 square feet	1 yd² = 9 ft²
1 square mile = 640 acres	1 mi² = 640 ac
1 acre = 43,560 square feet = 4,840 square yards	1 ac = 43,560 ft² = 4,840 yd²

Volume of 3D Shapes: Metric Conversion Chart

1 cubic centimeter = 1000 cubic millimeters	1 cm³ = 1000 mm³
1 cubic decimeter = 1000 cubic centimeters	1 dm³ = 1000 cm³
1 cubic meter = 1,000,000 cubic centimeters	1 m³ = 1,000,000 cm³
1 cubic meter = 1000 cubic decimeters	1 m³ = 1000 dm³
1 cubic kilometer = 1,000,000,000 cubic meters	1 km³ = 1,000,000,000 m³

Facts about Metric Conversion Chart

Conclusion

In this article, we learned about the intricacies and essential details of the metric system conversion tables for different measurements. To solidify our understanding and ensure mastery of these conversions, let’s solve a few examples and practice MCQs for better comprehension.

Solved Examples on Metric Conversion Chart

Example 1: Carry out the following metric conversions.

i) Convert 50 km into millimeters. 

ii) Convert 27 milliliters into liters.

iii) Convert 158 grams into kilograms.

Solution:

i) 1 km = 1,000,000 mm

50 km = $50 \times 1,000,000$ mm

50 km = $5 \times 10^{7}$ mm

50 km = 50,000,000 mm

ii) 1 L = 1000 mL

1 mL = 0.001 L

Thus, 27 mL = $27 \times 0.001$ L

27 mL = 0.027 L

iii) 1000 g = 1 kg 

158 g = $\frac{158}{1000}$ kg

158 g = 0.158 g

Example 2: A pole is 72 inches long. Find its length in cm.

Solution:

We know that 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters

Length of the pole = 72 inches

Multiply the given length by the conversion factor of 2.54.

Length in cm $= 72 \times 2.54$ feet

Length in cm = 182.88 cm

Therefore, the length of the pole is 182.88 cm.

Example 3: A bottle has a capacity of 20 mL. How many such bottles will fill up a bottle with a capacity of 1 liter?

Solution:

We know that 1000 mL = 1 L

To find out how many 20 mL bottles are needed to fill a 1 L bottle, you should divide 1000 mL by 20 mL:

$\frac{1000}{20}$ = 50

Therefore, 50 such 20 mL bottles will be required to fill up a bottle with a capacity of 1 liter.

Practice Problems on Metric Conversion Chart

Frequently Asked Questions about Metric Conversion Chart