Unit Conversion Table
Whether you are scaling a recipe from cups to milliliters, checking a car’s fuel economy in different units, or reading engineering drawings, the right conversion factor saves time and prevents mistakes. A unit conversion table collects the most commonly used factors in one reference so you can convert by simple multiplication.
Length conversion table
Length is the most frequently converted category, bridging the metric system (millimeters, meters, kilometers) and the imperial system (inches, feet, yards, miles).
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| inches | centimeters | 2.54 |
| feet | meters | 0.3048 |
| yards | meters | 0.9144 |
| miles | kilometers | 1.609344 |
| centimeters | inches | 0.393701 |
| meters | feet | 3.28084 |
| meters | yards | 1.09361 |
| kilometers | miles | 0.621371 |
Example: A room is 12 feet long. 12 × 0.3048 = 3.658 meters.
Weight and mass conversion table
Mass conversions matter in cooking, shipping, and science. One key relationship to remember: 1 kilogram = 2.20462 pounds.
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| ounces (oz) | grams | 28.3495 |
| pounds (lb) | kilograms | 0.453592 |
| stones (st) | kilograms | 6.35029 |
| short tons (US) | metric tons | 0.907185 |
| grams | ounces | 0.035274 |
| kilograms | pounds | 2.20462 |
| kilograms | stones | 0.157473 |
| metric tons | short tons (US) | 1.10231 |
Volume conversion table
Volume units differ noticeably between US and UK systems. A US gallon holds 3.785 liters; a UK (imperial) gallon holds 4.546 liters – about 20 % more.
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| US fl oz | milliliters | 29.5735 |
| US cups | milliliters | 236.588 |
| US pints | liters | 0.473176 |
| US quarts | liters | 0.946353 |
| US gallons | liters | 3.78541 |
| UK gallons | liters | 4.54609 |
| liters | US gallons | 0.264172 |
| liters | UK gallons | 0.219969 |
| liters | US cups | 4.22675 |
Temperature conversion table
Temperature scales use linear formulas rather than a single multiplier.
| Conversion | Formula |
|---|---|
| Celsius → Fahrenheit | °F = °C × 9/5 + 32 |
| Fahrenheit → Celsius | °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9 |
| Celsius → Kelvin | K = °C + 273.15 |
Common reference points:
| °C | °F | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| −40 | −40 | Scales intersect |
| 0 | 32 | Water freezes |
| 20 | 68 | Room temperature |
| 37 | 98.6 | Body temperature |
| 100 | 212 | Water boils |
Area conversion table
Area factors are simply the squares of the corresponding length factors – but the resulting numbers are less intuitive, so a table is especially handy.
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| sq inches | sq centimeters | 6.4516 |
| sq feet | sq meters | 0.092903 |
| sq yards | sq meters | 0.836127 |
| acres | sq meters | 4,046.86 |
| acres | hectares | 0.404686 |
| sq miles | sq kilometers | 2.58999 |
| sq centimeters | sq inches | 0.155 |
| sq meters | sq feet | 10.7639 |
| hectares | acres | 2.47105 |
Speed conversion table
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | 1.60934 |
| km/h | mph | 0.621371 |
| m/s | km/h | 3.6 |
| knots | km/h | 1.852 |
| knots | mph | 1.15078 |
Example: A speed limit of 60 mph equals 60 × 1.60934 ≈ 96.6 km/h.
How do you use a unit conversion table?
Every conversion follows the same three-step process:
- Locate the row where the “From” column matches your starting unit and the “To” column matches your target unit.
- Multiply your numeric value by the factor in the third column.
- Round the result to the decimal precision you need.
To convert in the opposite direction, use the inverse factor – divide 1 by the multiplier listed, or find the matching reverse row in the table. For instance, since 1 foot = 0.3048 meters, then 1 meter = 1 / 0.3048 ≈ 3.28084 feet.
Metric prefixes cheat sheet
The metric system scales by factors of 1,000. Knowing the prefix chain lets you convert between any two metric units without a table.
| Prefix | Symbol | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| kilo- | k | 1,000 |
| hecto- | h | 100 |
| deka- | da | 10 |
| base unit | – | 1 |
| deci- | d | 0.1 |
| centi- | c | 0.01 |
| milli- | m | 0.001 |
| micro- | μ | 0.000001 |
Example: 3.5 kilometers = 3,500 meters = 350,000 centimeters. Move the decimal point three places left for each step down the table.