Features of the Tool

• Convert between all common length units: miles, kilometers, meters, yards, feet, inches, and centimeters
• Instantly switch conversion direction (e.g., miles to km ↔ km to miles)
• Prebuilt modes for common conversions like meters to feet and kilometers to yards
• Clear formulas and examples for each conversion type

Supported Conversions

Conversion	Formula	Example
Miles to Kilometers	km = mi × 1.60934	5 miles = 8.0467 km
Miles to Feet	ft = mi × 5280	2 miles = 10,560 ft
Feet to Inches	in = ft × 12	3 ft = 36 in
Meters to Feet	ft = m × 3.28084	10 m = 32.8084 ft
Inches to Centimeters	cm = in × 2.54	12 in = 30.48 cm

The History and Definition of Length Units

• Imperial System
  • Mile (mi): Originally derived from the Roman “mille passus” (1,000 paces). Today, it equals exactly 5,280 feet or 1,609.34 meters. Primarily used in the US, UK, and some Commonwealth countries for road distances.
  • Yard (yd): Equals 3 feet or 0.9144 meters. Commonly used in sports (football fields measure 100 yards).
  • Foot (ft): One-third of a yard, equal to 12 inches or 30.48 centimeters.
  • Inch (in): The smallest common imperial unit, defined today as exactly 2.54 centimeters.
• Metric System
  • Kilometer (km): Introduced in France during the 1790s, it equals 1,000 meters and serves as the global standard for measuring long distances.
  • Meter (m): The fundamental SI base unit of length. Originally intended to be 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator through Paris, the modern definition is the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds.
  • Centimeter (cm): One-hundredth of a meter, commonly used for small measurements like height and item dimensions.

Step-by-Step Conversion Examples

Miles to Kilometers

• Formula: km = miles × 1.60934
• Example: 10 miles = 16.0934 km

Inches to Centimeters

• Formula: cm = inches × 2.54
• Example: 5 inches = 12.7 cm

Meters to Feet

• Formula: ft = meters × 3.28084
• Example: 2 meters = 6.5617 ft

Practical Tips

• Quick approximations for mental math:
  • Miles to km: Multiply by 1.6 (e.g., 30 mi ≈ 48 km)
  • Feet to meters: Divide by 3.3 (e.g., 10 ft ≈ 3 m)
  • Inches to cm: Multiply by 2.5 (e.g., 4 in ≈ 10 cm)

How to Use the Tool

1. Enter a value (e.g., “5”)
2. Select a conversion mode (e.g., “Miles to Kilometers”)
3. Click Convert to see the result
4. Use the ↔ Switch button to reverse units (e.g., switch from miles to km to km to miles)
5. Explore other conversions like feet to inches or kilometers to yards