Question

How do you convert $1.49m$ into millimeters?

Answer 1

Hint: We can solve problems on conversions easily by taking help of the relationships between the units. As we are supposed to convert the unit meter into a smaller unit millimeter we must use the relationship between the two units. We multiply the given number with $1000$ to get the number converted into millimeters.

Complete step by step solution:
The number we are given to convert into millimeter is $1.49m$ .
The given unit is meter. As the measure gets smaller (we know that a millimeter is much smaller than a meter), the number of measures we need to cover for a certain distance will get bigger. Each and every time we move to the next smaller measure by changing the unit, we have to move the decimal point to make the number bigger.
The unit just next to the meter is decimeter. Hence, we first convert the number into decimeters first.
We know that $1m=10dm$
Hence, the number $1.49m$ gets converted into decimeter as $1.49\times 10=14.9dm$
Also, the next smallest measure after decimeter is centimeters. And $1dm=10cm$
Hence, the number $14.9dm$ gets converted into centimeter as $14.9\times 10=149cm$
Then we convert it to the next smallest measure i.e., millimeter.
We know that $1cm=10mm$
Hence, the number $149cm$ gets converted into decimeter as $149\times 10=1490mm$
Therefore, we conclude that $1.49m$ is equal to $1490mm$ .

Note: While converting a number from one unit to another we must properly decide whether to multiply it or to divide it by a power of $10$ , as students often get confused between the smaller units and larger units. Also, we must properly remember the relationships between the units to get the conversions done accurately.