Definition
Unit conversion
Unit conversion rewrites the same measurement in a different unit without changing the quantity being measured.
Continue from this idea into connected AXIO math.
What it means
The object or amount does not change—only the size of the unit and the number of those units. When you change to a smaller unit, more units are needed, so the number grows. When you change to a larger unit, fewer units are needed, so the number shrinks.
Remember it
Same quantity, new unit: smaller units mean a bigger count.
Example
A jump rope is 2 metres long. Each metre is 100 centimetres, so 2 × 100 = 200. Therefore, 2 m = 200 cm; the rope has not changed length.
Watch for
Writing 2 cm instead of 2 m changes only the label and gives a different length; it is not a conversion.
Common mix-up
Choose the direction before calculating: converting to smaller units increases the number, while converting to larger units decreases it.
Exact meaning
A unit conversion expresses one measurement in an equivalent unit by using a valid equality or conversion factor. The numerical value and unit change together while the measured quantity remains the same.