One of the most difficult parts of the metric system is converting standard measurements into metric ones. Once you have the correct metric amount, converting from different metric units is simple. The metric system is constructed of groups of ten, meaning every unit of measurement is made of ten smaller units, and ten of that unit creates another unit. When dealing with different dimensions of measurement, like from length to area to volume, the units grow exponentially by powers of ten. You can calculate centimeters from millimeters by dividing by these different powers.
Instructions
1. Divide the amount of millimeters by 10 to calculate the amount in centimeters. For example, 250 mm divided by 10 equals 25 cm.
2. Divide the amount in millimeters squared by 100 to calculate the amount in centimeters squared. For example, 1,500 mm squared divided by 100 equals 150 cm squared.
3. Divide the amount in millimeters cubed by 1,000 to calculate the amount in centimeters cubed. For example, 5,000 mm cubed divided by 1,000 equals 5 cm cubed.
