How to Use the Metric and Imperial Converter
The Simple Answer
The Metric and Imperial Converter changes lengths, weights, volumes, areas and temperatures between metric and imperial units, and shows the same amount in every other unit of that kind.
What the tool does
Choose what you are converting, type an amount, and pick the units. The swap button reverses them. Below the answer, a list shows the same amount in every other unit of that kind, so one entry answers several questions at once.
How to use it
- Choose what you are converting: length, weight, volume, area or temperature.
- Type an amount and choose the units to convert from and to.
- Read the answer, or look at the list of every other unit.
A worked example
A few exact definitions explain the results. One inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters. One mile is exactly 1.609344 kilometers. One pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. Temperature uses a formula, not a ratio: Fahrenheit equals Celsius x 9/5 + 32, so 100 degrees C is 212 degrees F.
Things to know
- Gallons, quarts, cups and fluid ounces are US customary units unless labeled UK. A UK (imperial) gallon is about 20% larger than a US gallon.
- Amounts can be typed with a decimal point, or with commas as thousands separators.
- Results are rounded to seven significant digits for display only.
Common questions
Why do US and UK gallons differ? They come from different historical definitions. The UK gallon is about 20% larger, so check which one a recipe or a fuel figure uses.
Is temperature conversion a simple multiplication? No. Fahrenheit and Celsius also differ in where zero sits, so the formula adds 32 after multiplying.
Metric & Imperial Converter: Open the Metric and Imperial Converter and try your own numbers.