How to see it
Kilo means a thousand. Centi means a hundredth. Milli means a thousandth. Going from a big unit to a small one, the number gets bigger, so multiply. Going small to big, divide. Kilometres to metres, times 1,000. Metres to centimetres, times 100. Centimetres to millimetres, times 10.
A worked example
3.6 times 1,000 is 3,600 metres. And 2.5 kilograms is 2,500 grams. 3.2 litres is 3,200 millilitres.
The common mistake: multiplying by 100 when it should be 1,000
The trap is using 100 for everything, since centi is the one we know best. Kilo, milli and litres all go in thousands. Also check the direction: converting to a smaller unit should give a bigger number.
Try one
0.75 kilograms in grams.
- A7.5
- B75
- C750
- D7,500
Show the answerHide the answer
Right: C, 750