The linear measurement of feet and inches is a common pair of units used in the United States. Converting feet to inches and inches to feet can be an important skill to learn and keep in your mental toolbox.
Feet to Inches Conversion Factor
There are 12 inches for every foot of length, or
1 foot (ft) = 12 inches (in)
The following two example problems show how to use this conversion factor to switch between inches and feet.
Convert Feet to Inches Example Problem
Question: How many inches tall is a man who is 6 feet tall?
Solution: Multiply the conversion factor to the 6 feet value. Make sure the undesired unit is in the denominator.
This allows us to cancel out the unwanted unit and leave the desired unit.
6 feet = 72 inches
Answer: There are 72 inches in 6 feet.
Convert Inches to Feet Example Problem
Question: When buying a television, the screen size is measured in inches between opposite corners. How many feet across is a 45-inch television?
Solution: Multiply the conversion factor to the 45 inches value. Make sure the undesired unit is in the denominator.
Note this cancels out the inches and leaves us with the foot unit.
45 inches = 3.75 feet
Answer: A 45-inch television is 3.75 feet from corner to corner.