Unit conversion problems constitute the first week of nearly every science course. Measurement is a basic skill in science, but not all measurement methods are the same. People measure the same thing in different ways and use different units. To communicate between scientists, there has to be a method of converting between the different measurement units.
This is a collection of unit conversion example problems to help you learn the general method and mindset of converting units. Most of these include an example going the opposite direction (for example: cm to m and m to cm).
General Unit Conversion Example
This is the way I tackle conversions between units. It outlines how to use a conversion factor to step-by-step reach the desired end units. This method is especially useful for measurements with more than one conversion like kilometers/hour to meters/sec.
The L/min to m3/hr Conversion Example is a conversion example which uses the Ladder Method.
Length Unit Conversion Example Problems
- Feet to Inches (ft to in) Conversion
- Inches to Centimeters (in to cm) Conversion
- Miles to Kilometers (mi to km) Conversion
- Nanometers to Angstroms (nm to Å) Conversion
Area Unit Conversion Example Problems
Volume Unit Conversion Example Problems
- General Volume Example – Step by step conversion between 3 linear measurements to find the volume.
- Cubic Centimeters to Cubic Meters (cm3 to m3) Conversion
- Cubic Centimeters to Liters (cm3 to L) Conversion
- Cubic Feet to Liters (ft3 to L) Conversion
- Cubic Inches to Cubic Feet (in3 to ft3) Conversion
- Cubic Inches to Liters (in3 to L) Conversion
- Gallon to Liter (gal to L) Conversion
- Fluid Ounce to Milliliter (fl oz to mL) Conversion
Mass Unit Conversion Example Problems
Temperature Unit Conversion Example Problems
- Celsius to Fahrenheit (°C to °F) Conversion
- Celsius to Kelvin (°C to K) Conversion
- Fahrenheit to Celsius (°F to °C) Conversion
- Fahrenheit to Kelvin (°F to K) Conversion
- Kelvin to Celsius (K to °C) Conversion
- When does Celsius Equal Fahrenheit?
- When does Fahrenheit Equal Kelvin?
Pressure Unit Conversion Example Problems
- Atmospheres to Kilopascals (atm to kPa) Conversion
- Atmospheres to Kilopascals (atm to kPa) Conversion
- Atmospheres to Pounds per Square Inch (atm to PSI) Conversion
- Millimeters of mercury to millibars (mmHg to mbar) Conversion
- Millimeters of mercury to kilopascals (mmHg t kPa) Conversion