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This is a simple unit conversion. You should learn how to do unit conversions with metric prefixes. Learn the prefixes and conversions will be easy. Let's see how this applies in detail. The more you practice unit conversions, the quicker you can do them.

The prefix "kilo" stands for a factor of 1000. 1 kilometre = 1000 metres, so we can say
1 = 1000 m/1 km = 1km/1000 m (let's use metric symbols rather than spelling the words.)
"hecto" stands for a factor of 100, so
1 hm = 100 m.
Now we can multiply this by a fancy form of 1.
100 m X (1 km/1000 m) = 100/1000 km [the unit m in the numerator divides the unit m in the denominator to form a "1"] = 0.100 km.

So now, let's do "How many hectometers in an inch?"
1 in x (2.54 cm/1 in) x (1 m / 100 cm) x (1 hm / 100 m) = (2.54/100)/100 hm = 2.54 x 10^(-4) hm.

Unit conversions of any type is a series of multiplying by a special form of "1". Just make sure that you have matching units in the numerator and denominator as you get them to change.


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10y ago

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