Utilities & Tools

The Ultimate Guide to Unit Conversion

📅 Published Jan 2025⏱️ 5 min read

We live in a world divided by measurement systems. Whether you're baking a cake using a US recipe, buying land in acres, or checking the temperature abroad, unit conversion is an essential skill. This guide covers the most critical conversions you'll need.

[Image of Metric vs Imperial Units]

1. Length: Metric vs. Imperial

Length is perhaps the most confusing category because different industries use different standards. Here are the "Golden Rules" of length conversion:

1 Inch = 2.54 Centimeters (Exact)
1 Meter = 3.28 Feet (Approx)
1 Mile = 1.609 Kilometers
1 Kilometer = 0.62 Miles

Pro Tip: To quickly convert Kilometers to Miles mentally, divide by 2 and add 10% (e.g., 100km / 2 = 50 + 5 = 55 miles. Actual is 62, but it's a close estimate!).

2. Weight: Pounds to Kilograms

Gym-goers and travelers deal with this constantly. The magic number is 2.2.

1 Kilogram = 2.204 Pounds (lbs)
1 Pound = 453.59 Grams
1 Stone = 14 Pounds (Common in UK)

3. Volume: The Kitchen Nightmare

Cooking is where conversions get messy because "Cups" vary by country (US vs. Metric vs. Imperial Cup).

  • 1 US Cup = ~240 ml
  • 1 Metric Cup = 250 ml
  • 1 Gallon (US) = 3.785 Liters

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4. Temperature: °C to °F

This is the trickiest because it's not a simple multiplication. You need to subtract/add 32.

°F to °C: (°F - 32) × 5/9
°C to °F: (°C × 9/5) + 32

Quick Estimate: To go from °C to °F, multiply by 2 and add 30. (e.g., 20°C × 2 = 40 + 30 = 70°F. Actual is 68°F).