Conversion formula
How unit conversion works
Linear conversion relationship target value = source value × conversion factor
The converter first expresses a measurement in its category's SI base unit, then converts that base value into the selected target unit. Temperature is handled separately because Celsius and Fahrenheit include offsets.
Worked example
Worked length conversion example
Convert 2.5 meters to centimeters.
- Use the relationship 1 meter = 100 centimeters.
- Multiply: 2.5 × 100.
- Report the result: 250 cm.
Supported measurements
Science conversion categories
- Length: meters, metric prefixes, inches, feet, yards, and miles.
- Mass: kilograms, grams, metric prefixes, tonnes, ounces, and pounds.
- Temperature: kelvin, Celsius, and Fahrenheit.
- Volume: cubic meters, liters, milliliters, microliters, and US liquid units.
- Pressure and energy: common laboratory, mechanical, electrical, and thermal units.
Assumptions and limitations
Use converted values responsibly
- Conversion does not increase the precision of the original measurement.
- Round the final value to suitable significant figures for your experiment.
- US liquid units are not interchangeable with similarly named imperial units.
- Temperature values below absolute zero are mathematically converted but physically invalid.
- Always confirm the unit convention required by your laboratory method.
Questions and answers
Scientific unit conversion FAQ
Which scientific units can I convert?
The converter supports common SI, metric, imperial, and US customary units for length, mass, temperature, volume, pressure, and energy.
How are temperature conversions calculated?
Temperature uses scale-specific offsets as well as ratios. Celsius is converted to kelvin by adding 273.15, while Fahrenheit also requires a five-ninths scale factor.
Are the conversion factors exact?
Defined SI relationships such as 1 inch equals 0.0254 meter are treated as exact. Displayed results are limited to twelve significant digits for readability.