There is a lot of help for converting inches to centimeters on the website, they will all tell you that 1 inch = 2.54 cm. However, in academic situations, this information is sometimes not enough, as many teachers will ask you to write down your work. Fortunately, converting inches to centimeters using algebraic steps and crossing out units correctly is a fairly easy task. If your initial units are inches, the process will be as easy as entering your values into the blanks in the formulas in this article and calculating them. See Step 1 to get started.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Transforming Through a Simple Process
Step 1. Write down the value of your length measurement in inches
Either use a known value (part of a homework problem, etc.) or use a ruler or tape measure to measure the length you want to change.
Step 2. Multiply your length by 2.54
One inch is equivalent to about 2.54 centimeters, so converting inches to centimeters means multiplying the value in inches by 2.54.
Step 3. Add centimeters to your new value
Don't forget to include the correct units for your new value. If you do your school homework, using the wrong units can result in your answer points being deducted or even considered wrong.
Method 2 of 2: Transforming Through a Detailed Process
Step 1. Make sure your measurements are in inches
This may seem simple, but it is very important to remember, especially when working on mixed measurements of feet and inches, which are often indicated by quotation marks, like this: 6'2''. Remember that in such a measurement, the number marked in single quotes is feet, which is 12 inches.
For example, in the example above, 6'2'', we multiply 6 feet by 12 inches/foot to get a total of 72 inches. To do so, we add an additional two inches from our measurements, to get the final result 74 inches.
Step 2. Enter your value (in inches) into the following inches to centimeters conversion factor
| _ in | * |
2, 54 cm 1 in |
= | ? cm |
This conversion factor will give you an accurate answer in centimeters and will fulfill almost all your writing needs, if you are a student. Put your value in inches into the blank at the beginning of the conversion factor and multiply.
- This conversion factor will also give you the correct units. Note that the inches in the denominator of the conversion factor can be crossed out with inches from the value you entered, leaving centimeters in the numerator of the factor conversion for your final answer.
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Let's put our example of 74 inches into the conversion factor.
- (74 inches × 2.54 centimeters)/(1 inch)
- (187.96 inches × centimeters)/(1 inch)
- We crossed out inches because these units appear in the denominator and numerator, leaving the final answer 187.96 centimeters.
Step 3. Just use a calculator if you don't need to show your work
If you're not interested in showing your work for academic purposes, all you need to do to convert inches to centimeters is multiply the value in inches by 2.54 using a calculator. This is actually the same as calculating with the formula above, and will give the same result in centimeters.
For example, if we want to find the value of 6 inches in centimeters, we just need to multiply 6 × 2.54 = 15, 24 cm.
Step 4. For the calculation of the image in mind, round your conversion factor to make it easier to find the answer
If you don't have a calculator, it's possible to estimate the conversion of inches to centimeters using a rounding conversion factor to make multiplication of shadows easier. Instead of using an accurate conversion factor of 2.54 centimeters/1 inch, use 2.5 centimeters/1 inch. Note that this will cause your final result to be slightly less accurate, so this method is only suitable for situations where independent estimates are allowed.
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For example, let's convert 31 inches to centimeters using this quick estimate:
- 2, 5 × 30 = 75. 2, 5 × 1 = 2, 5
- 75 + 2, 5 = 77.5 centimeters.
- Note that if we use an accurate conversion factor of 2.54 centimeters/1 inch, our answer is 78.74 centimeters. The two answers differ by 1.24 centimeters, or about 1.5%.
Tips
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1 inch = 2.5399999 cm, so 2.54 cm = 1 inch is very accurate based on:
1 cm = 0.39370079 inches which also means that there is 1 cm for every 0.39370079 inches written in comparative form, so that is approximately 4/10 inches = 1 cm
