Unit Conversions and Compound Measures

Unit conversion questions appear regularly in the UCAT Quantitative Reasoning subtest. You need to convert between metric units, handle currency conversions, and work with compound measures like speed, density, and pressure. This lesson provides a comprehensive reference and worked examples.

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Metric Conversions: Length

Conversion	Factor
1 km = 1,000 m	× 1,000 to go from km to m
1 m = 100 cm	× 100 to go from m to cm
1 cm = 10 mm	× 10 to go from cm to mm
1 m = 1,000 mm	× 1,000 to go from m to mm

Key Principle: Multiply When Going to Smaller Units, Divide When Going to Larger Units

• 3.5 km → metres: 3.5 × 1,000 = 3,500 m
• 4,200 m → km: 4,200 ÷ 1,000 = 4.2 km
• 150 cm → metres: 150 ÷ 100 = 1.5 m

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Metric Conversions: Mass